UCU Northern Ireland

16 November 2006

UCU represents members in further and higher education across Northern Ireland. We also represent staff in a number of training organisations.

Post-school education and training in the region are issues devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly and its executive. The NI Assembly was re-structured following the May 2016 elections - with the number of departments reduced from eleven to eight.

The Department of Employment and Learning merged with the Department for Enterprise Trade and Industry to become the Department for the Economy. Higher and further education in Northern Ireland now fall under the remit of the Department for the Economy.

Funding is now provided via the Department for the Economy, which receives an allocation from the executive out of the UK Treasury grant.

UCU in Northern Ireland engages with the Department for the Economy at all levels up to and including the minister. We seek to influence policy in relation to post school education through lobbying politicians and making submissions directly to government.

On this page:

Higher education

Northern Ireland has five dedicated HE institutions. These are:

The Queen's University of Belfast: contact QUB UCU
University of Ulster: contact Ulster UCU
St Mary's University College: contact: SMUC
Stranmillis University College: contact Stranmillis UCU
Open University: contact Open University UCU

All HE institutions are part of UCEA and are part of UK negotiating machinery for the determination of pay. Each institution has its own locally negotiated conditions of service.

Most academic and related staff at Queens, UU and OU are members of the University Superannuation Scheme for pension purposes. Lecturers at St.Mary's and Stranmillis for the most part are members of the Northern Ireland Teachers' Pension Scheme.

Some 15% of higher education in Northern Ireland is also delivered through the six further education colleges.

Key information for HE members in Northern Ireland:

HE pay and salaries
Working in HE
UCU Northern Ireland HE publications and reports
'Undervalued, Overworked, Taken for Granted': 2016 report produced by UCU Queen's University branch and Queen's Student Union into PhD working conditions

Further education

Click here for the latest developments on pay in Northern Ireland's FE colleges

Northern Ireland has six further education colleges which are area based. These are:

Belfast Metropolitan College: contact BMC UCU
Southern Regional College: contact SRC UCU
South Eastern Regional College: contact SERC UCU
South West College: contact SWC UCU
Northern Regional College: contact NRC UCU
North West Regional College: contact NWRC UCU

All colleges are part of the Colleges' Employers Forum and Colleges NI. The pay and conditions of service for lecturing staff are determined centrally at the Lecturers Negotiating Committee. A separate bargaining forum determines the pay and conditions of service of directors and deputies.

With wages falling well behind cost of living increases and spiralling workloads, the union has been pressing employers to work with us to improve conditions for our members but unfortunately negotiations have thus far failed.

Political work

Government consultations

Government consults widely in Northern Ireland on proposed policy initiatives and legislation. UCU makes comment in respect of education policy. Recent comments include:

Response to the Northern Ireland postgraduate tuition fee loan consultation [240kb]