The Friday email: 1 November 2024

Budget delivers £300m for FE England

Following relentless UCU campaigning the budget finally delivered news of an additional £300m for further education (FE) in England. We are waiting for confirmation about how it will be allocated, however it is welcome news.

We must keep up the pressure on government and our view is this investment must be directed to staff pay. We need a New Deal for FE and we will continue our campaign for much needed binding national bargaining across England FE, parity with schoolteacher pay and a minimum starting salary of £30,000.

Over 4,000 people have now signed our petition calling for national bargaining and a new settlement for further education: sign and share our petition here.

Last week, further, prison and adult education members from across England attended a New Deal for FE lobby event in parliament. Members spoke to over 20 MPs about issues affecting their local areas and campaign demands ahead of the Budget, and this led to a mention in parliament on Thursday.

You can read UCU's response to this week's budget in full here. 

HE pay and working conditions negotiations consultation

The elected representatives on UCU's higher education committee (HEC) considered the final offer from Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), and voted to reject the pay element of the offer and to accept the terms of reference relating to the pay spine review, workload, casualisation, and equality pay gaps.

HEC also voted to launch an electronic ballot to consult UCU higher education members on the offer. This ballot is being administered by the independent election scrutineer Civica Election Services and will launch on Tuesday 12 November. If you are a full HE member from a branch included in the consultation look out for further details.

Reclaim Higher Education updates

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

• Brunel University of London: Brunel UCU members are holding an emergency general meeting to discuss their response to the news that 135 academic jobs have been put at risk of redundancy
• Cardiff University: Cardiff University has cut graduate tutor opportunities for the vast majority of PGRs within the School of Social Sciences. Many PGRs financially depend on this teaching work, which is also required for career development. Worryingly the only justification has been a vague reference to performance management. Cardiff UCU members fear this decision could be replicated in other schools and HE institutions, and they are concerned about the detrimental impact to staff workloads and job security for any casualised workers brought in for cover. Please sign the petition and share with your colleagues
• Open University: OU has begun a collective consultation on proposals to fire and rehire a group of OU associate lecturers if they do not 'agree' to have their working hours and pay reduced. Please support OU associate lecturers by signing this petition.

Nominations for UCU NEC, officer and trustee positions

Nominations are now open for the UK-wide positions of UCU vice president (becoming president in 2027-28), honorary treasurer, trustees, and for more than 20 positions on UCU's national executive committee (NEC). Nominations are also sought for officer and committee member positions on UCU Scotland's executive. Full details including role descriptions and nomination forms can be found here. The deadline for completed nominations is Monday 11 November at 17:00. Elections take place in the new year.

Adult and community education meeting

UCU is organising an online meeting of our members working in adult and community education (ACE) on Wednesday 6 November (16:00-17:15), where we are updating members on work we have been doing and campaigning for a minimum tutor wage in ACE. It is also an opportunity for ACE members to tell us what is happening in the workplace. To register for the event please email David Bussell.

Teachers' Pensions Scheme: McCloud Remedy webinar

Quilter Financial Advisers have agreed to provide a bespoke webinar for UCU members on the Teachers' Pensions Schemes (TPS), with particular emphasis on the impact of the McCloud Remedy (Transitional Protection Remedy). If you are eligible for the remedy, whether still in service or already retired, then the webinar will be particularly relevant to you. The webinar will take place on Thursday 7 November 12:30-13:30 and you can click here for registration and more information.

Climate and ecological emergency meeting

UCU's annual meeting on climate and ecological emergency will take place on Zoom on Thursday 14 November (11:00-16:00) and you can find full details including registration here. Registration deadline is Thursday 7 November at 17:00.

Webinar on eVisa and immigration status 

The UK government is replacing physical documents with an online system for immigration status, also known as an eVisa. If you currently have a biometric residence permit (BRP) for a visa or ILR, an EEA or EUSS biometric residence card (BRC), or an endorsement stamp or visa sticker in your passport, you need to replace this physical document by the end of December 2024 with an eVisa. An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. You will no longer be able to use your physical documents to return to the UK or prove your immigration status within the UK from 1 January 2025 onwards. You will need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa. Click here for more information on how to do this.

eVisa webinar

Bindmans solicitors are holding a webinar on Monday 18 November (13:00-14:00) which will give you an overview of the UK government's planned transition from physical biometric permits, including Indefinite Leave to Remain, EU settlement scheme and all types of visa to an electronic format. It is vital that UCU members and reps are fully aware of the implications of the change. Please do share with colleagues and encourage them to register for this event. We are collecting any questions members might have for the immigration lawyers relating to the e-Visa scheme/process. Please submit your questions to the UCU equalities team before 13 November.

Speaking tour: Campus Voices for Palestine - solidarity against scholasticide

As part of its work to support Palestinian educators, UCU is supporting a national speaking tour (28 October-6 November) which will provide opportunities for members to hear first-hand from Birzeit University's Right to Education campaign, as well as Palestinian academics and campaigners about how Palestinian higher education institutions are resisting erasure through the collective work of the Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza and their respective efforts to continue teaching and learning, despite the physical destruction of university campuses by relentless Israeli military attacks.

This speaking tour is organised by University and College Workers for Palestine and BRICUP with support from UCU. Click here for the full list of tour dates and more information.

Labour's first budget - Does it deliver the change we need?

Chaired by UCU President Maxine Looby, this online event is being organised by the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group, which co-ordinates campaigning activities in Parliament and beyond. With concern across our movement and communities that yet more cuts are on the agenda, join for a review of the 2024 Budget and discussion on the next steps.

Agnes Flues and the Wollaton Hall parkrun

To honour the wonderful memory of their friend and former president Agnes Flues, University of Nottingham UCU members will be taking part in the Wollaton Hall parkrun on Saturday 9 November (09:00). Agnes was a regular at this parkrun. UCU members from all branches are warmly invited to come along; please wear your UCU colours if you have them. Another way to offer support is to sponsor those who are taking part so that we can raise money for the local branch and continue doing the work that Agnes did so inspirationally. For further information please contact Lisa Rüll or Tony Padilla.

Conduct of members committee: application of sanction for a disciplinary offence under Rule 13

A sanction has been applied for a disciplinary offence. Notification of this is required to union members and further information can be read here.