The Friday email: 21 February 2025

Stop the Cuts: fund Higher Education NOW!

The crisis in higher education is deepening. One in two HE institutions are now cutting jobs or announcing redundancies. This is unsustainable and we need urgent government intervention. 

That is why UCU is launching the Stop the Cuts: Fund Higher Education NOW! campaign on Monday 3 March. We ran a briefing session on Wednesday 19 February for branch reps and UCU members to learn about the campaign, what everyone can do to take part, as well as upcoming campaigning and lobbying activities. You can view a recording of the briefing on YouTube.

We are also organising a rally and parliamentary lobby on the afternoon of Tuesday 18 March so that we can make our voices heard in public and tell MPs directly why urgent action is needed. Branch officers have received further information about this event.

New Deal for FE: share the video, sign the petition

On Friday 7 March, a UCU delegation will present our New Deal for FE petition to employers' representatives at the Association of Colleges (AoC) and will also complete our submission to the cross-party inquiry into the further education (FE) sector. Local UCU college branches will also be holding local activities to coincide with the national submission on 7 March.

Around 5,500 supporters have now signed the petition calling for a New Deal with pay parity with schoolteachers, national bargaining and action on workloads. Over the next fortnight we need to build the biggest possible number of signatures to the petition. You can help by sharing this short video about the campaign with friends and colleagues and asking them to sign the petition.

UCU elections 2025: use your vote

UCU has a national executive committee (NEC), elected by the union's members. The elections take place annually, and the ballots to elect Trustees, vice-president, honorary treasurer and NEC members opened on Monday 27 January and will close on Monday 3 March. 

You can watch a video on the importance of taking part in UCU elections here. If you have not received your postal ballot materials, please request a replacement ballot via this form. You will need your UCU membership number and the replacement request form will close on Monday 24 February. 

The last safe date for posting your ballot is fast approaching so please use your vote if you have not already.

Hustings for the UCU vice president and honorary treasurer candidates took place online on Wednesday 5 February and you can view a recording of the hustings here.

Democracy in your union: UCU members' survey

UCU has commissioned the Labour Research Department (LRD) to carry out research into members' thoughts and experiences of the union's democratic structures. Members would have received an email from LRD Surveys this week; the survey is open until Monday 10 March.

Strike action at Dundee, Newcastle and Brunel universities

University of Dundee management is not ruling out compulsory redundancies and job losses after discovering a £30m deficit. Following a successful ballot result last month, members are preparing to take three weeks of strike action starting on Monday 24 February. You can read further updates from the Dundee UCU branch and send messages of solidarity via email.

Newcastle University staff will strike for 14 days in March unless management protects jobs. The dispute is over management's threat to cut £35m, including £20m from its salary bill, equivalent to around 300 jobs. Yet the university is looking to open a campus in India while making these huge cuts at home. Last week UCU announced Newcastle UCU members had overwhelmingly voted in support of strike action.

Brunel University of London will begin strike action from Friday 28 February; click here for the full strike schedule. The dispute at Brunel arose over management's original plans to make 135 academic staff redundant. Last week Brunel UCU members voted for strike action on a turnout of 61%.

Industrial action ballots at Cardiff, Sheffield and Durham universities

UCU members at Cardiff University will be balloted for industrial action over job cuts from Monday 24 February; click here to read Cardiff University UCU branch's press release. There are currently over 400 members of staff at risk of redundancy in Cardiff and UCU is balloting because management has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies.

Meanwhile, University of Sheffield UCU will also start balloting members for industrial action from Monday 24 February in their dispute over management plans to cuts staff costs of £23m between 2024 and 2026. This may involve substantial job losses including compulsory redundancies.

In response to £20m of cuts in staffing costs, Durham University UCU asked for compulsory redundancies to be ruled out. UCU has not had that guarantee and the branch is moving towards a formal ballot for industrial action.

Finally, please support the following branches where UCU members in higher education are also continuing to defend jobs and education, for example Canterbury Christ Church University, University of East Anglia, University of Edinburgh, University of Kent, University of Northampton, University of Sheffield International College and University of Sunderland.

Support UCU's petition: remove Coventry University vice-chancellor from government role

Coventry University is currently facing a crisis, with the potential loss of 300 staff members and severe cuts across faculties. Those who remain will be forced to work through a subsidiary company, and any new starters would be unable to access the industry-standard Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS).Despite the institution being on its knees, Coventry vice-chancellor John Latham has been rewarded with a non-executive board position at the Department for Business and Trade. To hold leadership accountable and signal our disgust, UCU urge all members to sign this petition, which already has over 3,500 signatories, calling for the immediate removal of John Latham from the Department for Business and Trade board.

Who do you think should lead universities?

All UK university staff: who do you think should lead UK universities? Please provide your views on whom are best placed for vice-chancellor roles by completing this short survey.

This survey is being administered by researchers at the Centre for Higher Education Transformations (CHET) at the University of Bristol. It has received full ethical approval for distribution.

The Minister for Skills answers your questions

At the end of January, UCU general secretary Jo Grady met with the Minister of State for Skills, Baroness Smith of Malvern. This was an opportunity to put UCU members' concerns about the state of UK universities, and what the Labour government should urgently do about the sector, directly to the minister. Click here to watch the full interview.

Adult and community education briefing in London, 26 February

Please join your adult and community education (ACE) colleagues from across the UCU London region and take part in our next briefing for the sector.

UCU London regional office has called this important briefing to update branch officers, reps and members working in ACE in London, on our flagship national campaign (New Deal for FE), our work with the Greater London Authority and the TUC, and to provide you with the latest policy and funding updates for the sector.

Speakers include: Jo Grady (UCU general secretary) and Paul Bridge (UCU head of further education), Kashif Mirza (Skills and employment, Greater London Authority), Adam Lincoln (UCU regional official, London FE) and Sam Gurney (TUC LESE regional secretary).

The meeting will be hybrid--on Zoom and at UCU head office in London--and take place on Wednesday 26 February (14:00-16:00), with lunch from 13:15. You can register here and registration will be open until Monday 24 February.

Cradle to Grave 2025 conference, 29 March

Registration is open here for UCU's Cradle to Grave conference, which will take place on Saturday 29 March.

This annual conference is a chance for members to gather together to discuss some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the sectors where we organise. The theme of this year's conference is 'Education for liberation: building progressive post-16 education policy', and the confirmed keynote speaker is Richard Burgon, Labour MP for Leeds East.

The conference will be run as a hybrid event, with options to attend in person at the CCT Venue Smithfields, London or online via Zoom. We expect spaces for the in-person event to fill up quickly so register as soon as possible to secure your place. The deadline to register is Thursday 13 March; the conference is free to attend.

UCU Green rep survey

UCU's climate and ecological emergency committee (CEEC) would like to understand from Green Reps how best we can support you to progress a Just Transition and Climate bargaining agenda in your branches, and specifically how we can move towards a proactive 'bargaining for the future' strategy. This survey is directed to UCU members who are already Green reps or who have expressed an interest in the union's climate related work. It should take around 10 minutes to complete.

International Women's Day, 8 March

Join UCU in celebrating International Women's Day (IWD) on Saturday 8 March. This year's campaign theme is Accelerate Action and we have a new wallchart depicting women's fight for equality since the first International Women's Day. This is available on our website. Hard copies are also available on request, along with new IWD lanyards, by emailing Martin Whelton or Charlotte Nielsen.

Pride and Prejudice in Education 2025

UCU is updating the Pride and Prejudice in Education report about LGBT+ experiences in FE and HE (2016). We are inviting you to complete a survey by the deadline of Friday 21 March. Please do share the survey as it is for all LGBT+ FE and HE staff and students/learners. The chief investigator is Dr Kieran Higgins based at Ulster University.

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 25 March

Tuesday 25 March marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and UCU will be hosting a special webinar that day (18:00-19:00).

The webinar is entitled 'Education, reparations and justice: the legacy of slavery in post-16 learning'. Our keynote speaker is Dr Leona Vaughn, academic and researcher in the field of equalities and social justice, and the webinar is hosted by UCU president Maxine Looby. Please click here to register.

Partnerships with Palestine event, 25 February

Partnerships with Palestine: UK-Palestinian higher education collaboration, hybrid launch event: Tuesday 25 February (14:00-15:30) at Senate House Bristol or on Zoom. The event is run in collaboration between Friends of Birzeit University (FOBZU), the Centre for Comparative and International Research in Education at University of Bristol, and Research for Equitable Access and Learning at University of Cambridge. Come and hear about building higher education partnerships between Britain and Palestine; click on this link to register.

Demonstration at the Russian Embassy, 22 February

As part of the union's international solidarity work, UCU is supporting a march and rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and in support of the people of Ukraine. This will be held in London on Saturday 22 February, on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's invasion. For more information click here.