The Friday email: 26 November 2021

26 November 2021

Higher education strikes: support our action

Next week UCU members will strike in 58 universities in the first wave of planned industrial action over USS pension cuts and pay, equality and working conditions. Institutions will be hit by the strike action on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (1-3 December) and action short of striking (working to contract) will also begin. If you work at one of the striking branches, please join the picketlines, get involved with the events and speak to your branch about planned activities.

show your support by using #OneOfUsAllOfUs on social media
share the NUS petition for students to show support for our strike
join the live online solidarity show for UCU and RMT strikers at 7pm tonight, organised by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and featuring our own Jo Grady and other speakers
join the London region march and rally on Friday 3 December. Assembly 12.30pm Tavistock Square and march to the rally at Bank.

Meanwhile members at 42 institutions where the union did not reach the 50% turnout requirement for action, will be reballoted from Monday 6 December to Friday 14 January with a view to joining the industrial action in the new year. See here for the list of institutions being reballoted or taking strike action. If you are included you should receive your ballot paper in the post from next Tuesday 7 December. Please return your completed vote in the envelope provided.

Full information can be found at our online HE action centre here.

UCU online teach outs

We're running a series of 20 minute bite-size courses on action short of striking (ASOS) to maximise participation and impact of the industrial action in higher education. The ASOS sessions are repeated so please only register for one:

Two sessions covering the importance and relevance of climate and environment issues on our working conditions and lives:

#JusticeForCollegeTeachers: latest victory at Capital City College Group

Congratulations to UCU members at Capital City College Group (CCCG) who this week agreed a deal on pay, conditions and lesson observations after taking ten days of strike action. UCU London official Adam Lincoln said: 'This deal is a testament to our members' determination to fight for fairer pay, working conditions and against excessive monitoring and surveillance of staff. This agreement also levels up pay and holidays across the group.' CCCG includes City and Islington College, College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) and Westminster Kingsway College.

See here for all the latest on local college and university disputes.

Student support services survey

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Students is holding an inquiry into the return of students to campus this autumn as Covid-19 measures have been relaxed. UCU has been asked to submit evidence to this inquiry regarding student support services. Please complete this short survey before 9am on Thursday 2 December.

End gender based violence

UCU is supporting the 16 days of activism against gender based violence which is an international campaign that runs from 25 November - 10 December. We particularly want to encourage our branches to develop policies on sexual harassment and domestic abuse. We run a Challenging Sexual Harassment in the Workplace course as part of our national training programme and we have also developed shorter webinars which can be delivered online (contact Rob Hancock or Charlotte Nielsen).

UCU workload survey

UCU is surveying staff on workloads in universities, colleges, prison education, and adult education to provide evidence to support local and national campaigns and negotiation to reduce excessive workloads. It takes 25 minutes and you'll be entered for a prize draw. Please take the survey and encourage your colleagues to complete it too (whether they are UCU members or not)

Last updated: 26 November 2021

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