The Friday email: 19 July 2024

Reclaim Higher Education updates

Please support the following university branches where UCU members are continuing to defend jobs and education:

• Goldsmiths, University of London: staff at Goldsmiths will strike from Monday 23 to Friday 27 September 2024 in a long-running dispute over a brutal redundancy programme. Click here for the full story and the boycott of Goldsmiths remains live
• Leeds Beckett University: LBU UCU members are currently voting in an industrial action ballot in a dispute with management over job cuts; the ballot will close in September 
• York St John University: YSJ UCU members are also voting in an industrial action ballot in a dispute with management over job cuts; the ballot will close on Monday 22 July.

Message for associate lecturers at the Open University

Many Open University staff also work for a second higher education or further education employer. The Open University UCU branch is asking UCU members with multiple HE or FE employers to check your details on MyUCU and ensure all relevant employments are listed as 'additional memberships'. Doing so will support branch organising and consultation on the Open University's restructuring programme, which has put a new cohort of professional services staff at risk of redundancy.

Survey on artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence technologies are already being used within HE and FE impacting on your working lives and the education of students. It is crucial we shape the impact of these technologies on education in a way that works for both staff and students, mitigating the risks they could pose.

The future of work in post-16 education working group is considering the threats and opportunities of these technologies and has created a survey which we are asking members to complete. Your responses will help them to understand from your perspective the uses, benefits and threats of AI-driven education technologies.

Ceasefire NOW!

UCU joins with many others in Palestine, the UK, and beyond to reiterate the demands for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid, and the lifting of the siege of Gaza. 

We are very concerned by the sharp rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia across the UK and beyond since October. We restate our unwavering opposition to all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia--hate has no place on our campuses or in our society. UCU also has a dedicated 'Ceasefire Now' web area where you can find information and resources.

UCU training programme on branch leadership

'Branch leaders: a strategic approach to branch building' is a residential course designed for those who wish to take on a branch leadership role. The course concentrates on techniques and strategies for developing a sustainable branch with active member involvement. It will also look at how to negotiate/consult with management, develop collective agreements, and communication with members.

The residential course will take place on 30 September, 1 and 2 October 2024 and then on 28 and 29 November 2024, at the GFTU Quorn Grange Hotel in Loughborough. Click here for more information and to register.

Jane McAlevey (1964-2024)

Jane McAlevey, American trade union organiser and friend of UCU, died on Sunday 7 July. The Organizing for Power team at the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung will hold an online tribute on Saturday 27 July at 17:00 and you can register here.

Annual Burston strike school rally

The annual Burston strike school rally is being held on Sunday 1 September in Burston, Norfolk. It is a great day out when regional trade unions take over the village green with stalls, guest speakers, live music with a licensed bar and food outlets.

On 1 April 1914 teachers Tom and Annie Higdon were dismissed from their posts in the rural village of Burston and with it began the 'longest strike in history'. On that day the children marched around the village with cards hanging from their necks demanding 'we want our teachers back'. Sixty-six of the local children had gone out on strike in support of their teachers, and the boycott of the local authority school lasted for the next twenty-five years.

UCU Eastern and Home Counties regional committee will have a stall at the rally, along with other trade unions and campaign groups. Click here for more information and if you come along, please say hello.

Oppose the far right: support the counter demonstration against Tommy Robinson

Members are encouraged to join the protests in London on Saturday 27 July against a planned appearance by Tommy Robinson.

UCU at Durham Miners' Gala 2024

Despite the cold and constant rain all day, UCU members proudly marched on Saturday 13 July with their banners into Durham for the largest trade union gathering in Europe. The Durham Miners' Gala is a celebration of community, international solidarity, and working class life. It is a unique and inspiring spectacle, so please join us on the second Saturday of July in 2025, for the 139th Durham Miners' Gala.