Update, 18 April 2024: over 100 delegates representing more than 80 FE branches in England met on Saturday 13 April 2024 at the special FE sector conference (FESC) to decide the union's pay strategy and whether a national aggregate ballot would be called in 2024/25. Click here to read the report on that FESC.

Decisions on motions

Section 1: Levelling up campaign and aggregated ballot

Consequential: If motion 1 (or motion 2) is passed, motions 3, 4, 5 and the final phrase of point iii in motion 6 ('and to ballot members in an aggregated ballot' ) will fall.

1  No move to an aggregated national ballot in 2024/25 - Richmond upon Thames College

Conference notes:

1. the success of the Respect FE campaign
2. the New Deal for FE strategy setting out an alternative strategy to win in FE.

Conference believes:

1. that we must build branch organisation and unite around the New Deal for FE strategy to win national binding pay bargaining
2. that the FEC should regularly check in with branches and members to build support for the 2024/25 campaign via branch briefings, surveys and consultative e-ballots.

Conference resolves:

1. that the FEC and FE officers should immediately implement the New Deal for FE strategy and Respect FE campaign after this conference around the 2024/25 national claim
2. that there shall be no national aggregated ballot in 2024/25
3. that there shall be no future national aggregated ballot until there strong membership support, an FE sector conference decision, and a new national bargaining agreement in place.

Consequential: If motion 2 is passed, motions 3, 4, 5 and the final phrase of point iii in motion 6 ('and to ballot members in an aggregated ballot' ) will fall.

CARRIED

2  Respecting the decisions of the FE sector - Eastern and Home Counties regional FE committee

Conference notes:

1. SFESC April 2023 Motion 4 and Motion 5 which instructed FEC to campaign for at least a year for national binding bargaining in the FE sector and to subsequently call an FE sector conference before any move away from Respect FE or towards an aggregated ballot
2. FESC May 2023 motion FE2 calling on FEC to begin to prepare for an aggregated ballot from January 2024.

Conference believes:

1. FEC did not adhere to SFESC April 2023 motions 4 or 5 when it met in February and called an aggregate ballot for this academic year
2. that the timescale envisioned by FEC for winning an aggregated ballot and national dispute is unrealistic.

Conference resolves to instruct FEC to:

1. continue with the Respect FE campaign, with no aggregated ballot this year
2. use local pay claims to build branches in preparation for a future aggregated ballot.

Consequential: motion 3 falls if motion 1 or 2 is passed.

CARRIED

3  Composite: No one must be left behind - Merton College, CCCG City and Islington (Camden Road), South and City College Birmingham, New City College Tower Hamlets (Poplar), Further education committee

Notes:

1. in 1993 the sector was incorporated and with it the break-up of national bargaining and the introduction of the market and competition into the sector
2. since incorporation the FE sector has become the worse funded sector within education. Before incorporation FE lecturers were better paid than teachers
3. the Respect pay campaigns
4. this year only 60 college/employers awarded 5% in part or whole
5. before that only half of the colleges that entered disputes were given pay awards
6. the disparity of pay in colleges g. highest pay grade for lecturers is as low as c£30-34k, many on c£39k with highest paid at c£49k
7. college staff are paid on average £9k less than school and sixth form teachers
8. the NEU won 5% for all their members with an aggregated ballot and national strike action
9. The AoC willingness to enter exploratory talks over binding national agreements
10. Wales FE won national binding agreements; the EIS-FELA won binding sector bargaining in 2015
11. Labour' s New Deal proposals for binding Fair Pay Agreements and intent to bring these in within 100 days of taking office
12. the General Election (GE) this year.

Believes that:

1. the break-up of national bargaining has institutionalised localised bargaining leading to a disparity between colleges and regions of pay and conditions
2. by having no national agreements that are binding on colleges/groups has led not only to one of the most unequal public sector organisations but also has allowed the sector to be the most underfunded. Binding sectoral bargaining would be significantly better than what we have now
3. there is a confluence of interests between opposition parties, trade unions and some employers to bring about binding sector bargaining
4. we have made some gains over the last 5 years with locally coordinated campaigns and are better prepared for national action
5. our "wins" are not spreading to all branches, we are leaving behind many members
6. members want a mass campaign to make an impact on pay and conditions together
7. a national campaign will ensure our voices are loud enough to be heard
8. we can achieve binding sector bings agreements

Resolves:

1. to support FEC' s levelling up strategy, and campaign for parity with school teachers
2. call upon UCU to include the demand for binding agreements in UCU's GE Manifesto work
3. support and mobilise for the lobby of MPs and Parliament in the autumn.

Consequential: motion 4 falls if motion 1 or 2 is passed.

FELL

4  Composite: Winning the levelling up campaign - Westminster Kingsway College, CCCG City and Islington (Camden Road), Further education committee

Notes:

1. the 600m extra over two years given to the sector
2. the government decision to re classify FE
3. the GE is likely to be in the Autumn
4. the FEC decision to implement SFESC and FESC motions to ballot to enable action in the new academic term
5. the college census date in October.

Believes:

1. our campaigning has forced the AoC to agree to have 'exploratory' talks over binding agreements
2. strike action prior to the census date gives us additional leverage and visibility
3. it will take England-wide escalating strike action, alongside demonstrations and lobbying, to win our claim.

Resolves:

1. to support the FEC' s Levelling up campaign strategy
2. if we are successful in winning the ballot to call escalating strike action from September
3. call an education day of action in our localities on one of the strike days
4. convene a strike committee at the end of the first wave of escalating strike action to review and decide the next steps.

Consequential: motion 5 falls if motion 1 or 2 is passed.

FELL

5  Move to an aggregated ballot - Loughborough College

Conference calls on the FEC to arrange a national aggregated ballot in June with the intention of calling a national strike of all branches in September 2024. The demands of the strike should include:

1. an above inflation pay rise to level up the sector with mainstream
2. nationally binding pay scales, based on the current best in the sector
3. nationally agreed work load agreement based on the current best in the sector.

The latest campaign based on local branch bargaining did not harness the power of the whole sector. Individual colleges claimed that their finances would not be able to pay an above inflation pay rise and threated cuts to jobs and working conditions.

A national ballot will pressure the government into funding and running the sector properly in line with mainstream schools.

Consequential: The final phrase of point iii in motion 6 ('and to ballot members in an aggregated ballot' ) falls if motion 1 or 2 is passed.

FELL

6  The Respect campaign: Unity in Action - City of Liverpool College

Notes:

1. in 2023/2024 only 60 college/employers awarded 5% in part or whole
2. there are still significant disparities for college lecturers in England in both pay, and terms and conditions.

Believes:

1. we have made some gains over the last 5 years with locally coordinated campaigns. However, not all members have had the benefit of these gains
2. the time and conditions are right now for us to take national collective action
3. the sector needs a binding harmonised national contact for pay, and terms and conditions of employment.

Resolves:

1. to evidence the disparities, with data, to show the current range in pay, and terms and conditions across the sector in England
2. to produce briefing papers to send to all members explaining the importance of binding agreements

CARRIED

3. to campaign for a binding national agreement and to ballot members in an aggregated ballot.

FELL

7  Levelling up, leave no one behind: winning the ballot - Merton College

Notes:

1. the decision of sector conference for an aggregated ballot to be implemented following the FESC prior to the summer break
2. our claim for binding national sector agreements, a national workload agreement and a 10% pay increase.

Believes that:

1. all three issues are We want binding agreements on pay and workload for all members
2. the last Respect campaign mainly focussed on pay and not on binding agreements and workload
3. to convince members to turn out in the ballot, the case for binding and our workload demands must be clear to members as well as pay.

Resolves for:

1. UCU to produce a petition 'Levelling up, leave no one behind: binding pay and workload agreements for all.'

CARRIED

Section 2: Branch opt-out of aggregated ballot

8  The path to victory begins with local branches - New College Swindon

SFESC notes:

1. the willingness of members to fight on pay, workloads, and national bargaining
2. the success of the Respect FE strategy coordinating branches in last year's dispute
3. the new FEC strategy of 'levelling up the sector' and move to a national aggregate ballot
4. the lack of detail contained in, debate on and branch involvement in that strategy.

SFESC believes:

1. branches are essential to the proper functioning of UCU democracy and decision-making
2. strategy should be debated and democratically agreed by branches
3. the move to an aggregated ballot is too soon
4. there is no clear path to victory because it is unclear who we are in dispute with.

SFESC resolves:

1. to allow for branch exclusions from any national action, dependent on local context
2. to retain local power to build branch capacity, density, and organising power whilst a long-term strategy is constructed and employed so that we can achieve our aims.

CARRIED

9  Branch control over involvement in national disputes - City College Norwich

Conference notes:

1. that until national binding pay bargaining is achieved, FE college branches negotiate with their employer, not with the government
2. that motion 7 at SFESC April 2023 called for a mechanism for branch exclusions from national campaigns.

Conference believes:

1. there are many reasons a branch may want to opt out of a national dispute or ballot
2. that each branch is best placed to make its own decision to stay in or opt out
3. that solidarity in a national dispute must be built and cannot be imposed.

Conference resolves:

1. that any branch will be able to opt out of any national dispute or aggregated ballot by passing a motion to that effect at a quorate branch meeting.

CARRIED AS AMENDED

9A.1  Eastern and home counties regional FE committee

Replace i. with: 'i. That, until national binding pay bargaining is achieved, any FE branch will be able to opt out of any national dispute or aggregated ballot by passing a motion to that effect at a quorate branch meeting.'CARRIED

Section 3: Local agreements

10  No national ratification of local agreements in FE - Richmond upon Thames College

Conference notes that motion 7 at SFESC April 2023 resolved that if national binding pay bargaining is in place, the appropriate ratification process shall be followed.

Conference believes that it is not the role of the FEC to instruct branches on the settlement of local agreements in the absence of binding national pay bargaining.

Conference resolves that national ratification of local agreements in FE shall not take place unless and until national binding pay bargaining is in place.CARRIED

11  Local settlements in FE disputes - City College Norwich

Conference notes:

1. that until national binding pay bargaining is achieved, FE college branches negotiate with their employer, not with the government
2. that motion 7 at SFESC April 2023 called for FE branches to have the right to negotiate pay and conditions with their employers.

Conference believes:

1. that members have the right to accept or reject any offer from their employer that their branch committee places before them
2. that solidarity in a national dispute must be built and cannot be imposed.

Conference resolves:

1. that at any time, branch committees may present any offer from their employer to branch members
2. that decisions over whether to accept such an offer may be made at a quorate branch meeting or by a simple majority vote in an eballot of branch members.CARRIED