December 2006

• Former prisoner job plan ignores their broader needs
  20 December 2006

  The government's plans to reduce prisoner reoffending may be ignoring essential prisoner needs for education and support, according to teachers who work in prisons. The teachers' views were submitted to the Education and Skills Select Committee which this week quizzed Ministers on progress in implementing recommendations for prison education.
• Speak up for public services, UCU urges
  15 December 2006

  UCU is one of 28 unions which have joined forces in a TUC co-ordinated campaign that aims to protect public services from policies that try to make them operate like profit-driven businesses.
• Universities crucial to knowledge economy
  14 December 2006

  The UCU manifesto for the Scottish Parliament Elections is calling for greater investment in the knowledge economy by increasing the resources for Universities, but it states that the investment must come from the public purse not top-up fees.
• Lecturers shocked by Bristol police raid on college
  14 December 2006

  College authorities from City of Bristol College have met police this week to discuss a recent incident when a student was arrested in the corridor outside his classroom at City of Bristol College.
• Dispute threat in Wales as FE employers rebuff workload talks
  14 December 2006

  The threat of industrial action is looming in Wales after college employers failed to agree to talks on lecturers' hours, holidays and workloads, despite continued joint union attempts to find a way forward.
• Northern Ireland minister to meet UCU over FE dispute
  14 December 2006

  The secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain, has agreed to meet a union deputation on the FE dispute on 15 January 2007 thanks to approaches from UCU Northern Ireland region and UCU joint general secretary, Paul Mackney.
• UCU says fundamental review on research needed
  7 December 2006

  UCU today welcomed the news that the government has abandoned its crude mono-metrics approach to the replacement for the Research and Assessment Exercise (RAE).
• Let over 65s work if they wish - colleges will soon need them
  7 December 2006

  Today, as the high court referred a case on compulsory retirement at 65 to the European Court of Justice, UCU warned that preventing employees from working beyond 65, if they wish, could seriously worsen an imminent staffing shortage in further education colleges.
• UCU responds to pre-budget report
  6 December 2006

  Responding to today's pre-budget report, UCU welcomed investment in education, but warned more needed to be done if the UK was to maintain its position as a global leader in educational provision.
• 'Why delay employer duty to provide skills training? Do it now', says UCU
  5 December 2006

  UCU has responded to the Leitch report - an independent review of the UK's long term skills needs - which was published today.