UCU response to King's Speech

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'While we welcome the shift in tone and commitment to improving the lives of working people, the devil will be in the detail and Labour must ensure it uses its mandate to make real change after years of Tory misrule.  The government must now take the opportunity to boldly transform the world of work. The commitment to phasing out zero-hour contracts is welcome, and the thousands of staff members working in post-16 education on precarious contracts will want to see this enacted as quickly as possible.' 

On skills and industrial strategy plans, Jo said: 'The government needs to make sure workers are at the heart of Skills England, the Industrial Strategy Council, and reforms to the apprenticeship levy. The college teachers entrusted to deliver these plans earn £9k less than their counterparts in schools. Reskilling England cannot be done on the cheap, and these crucial workers need a pay rise. Now is the time to reset these relationships to one of collaboration rather than one where initiatives are foisted onto education staff at the whim of government.'