The Friday email: 11 February 2022

Support our strikes: fight for education

Our next wave of industrial action in universities kicks off this Monday 14 February with a week of strikes at some branches over planned cuts to USS pensions. They will be joined by other UCU branches striking over the 'Four Fights' disputes on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 February the following week. Striking is always a last resort but regrettably higher education employers have failed to listen to staff or work with us to find a resolution on either dispute.

• if you work at a university UCU branch where industrial action is taking place, please observe the strike and respect our picket lines. Contact your local UCU branch and help organise the picket lines
• keep supporting our 'action short of a strike' (ASOS) if your branch is taking part
• donate and share the link to the union's fighting fund
• support 'teach out' events and rallies in your area. UCU Scotland is holding rallies in Glasgow on 14 February and Edinburgh on 22 February
• there is updated advice for migrant workers on taking strike action here
• new guidance on strikes, ASOS and members on casualised contracts is now available here
• watch and share our short video explaining why we're taking action on USS.

FE colleges in North West England organising to win better pay

Seven UCU FE branches in North West England are currently voting in consultative e-ballots to support an 'inflation-plus' pay campaign for 2021/22. With the cost of living crisis now escalating, offers from employers amount to little more than a real terms pay cut. The Manchester College, Burnley, Bury, City of Liverpool, Hopwood Hall, Nelson and Colne, and Oldham colleges are all getting organised to fight for better pay and have seen significant membership growth and record turnouts at meetings. Send messages of support here.

Goldsmiths strike to defend jobs

Members at Goldsmiths University London launched further strike action this week over plans to make 46 staff redundant. They will be taking further action in February and March and they need your support:

• donate to the strike fund
• find out more here
• follow Goldsmiths UCU on Twitter here.

Fighting racism in the workplace 

As part of UCU's annual week of action against workplace racism you're invited to an online panel discussion on the theme of identifying and challenging racism in the workplace on Tuesday 22 February, 5.00pm-6.30pm and there are more details and registration here.

UCU national elections 2022: hustings video 

With voting for UCU elections underway (closes 1 March 2022) you can watch a video of the vice president election hustings here including election addresses from all candidates and their answers to your questions.

Teachers' Pension Scheme update 

Our latest update here covers the changes that will be made on 1 April 2022 to all public service pension schemes including the Teachers' Pension Schemes in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

UCU prison education meeting (online), Friday 18 February, 11.00am-4.00pm

An opportunity to discuss the challenges facing prison education staff, to shape UCU's responses and to hear reports from other prisons. Please register here before Monday 14 February (you can register even if you can only attend part of the meeting). We will be joined by

• prison educators from our sister education trade union in Norway
• HMPPS guest speaker, Michael Harrison, head of education to talk about 'blended learning'
• Grahame Morris, MP: progressing prison worker safety in Parliament.

Online 'teach out' series

• Monday 21 February 12.00pm-1.30pm, Democratising education - UCU green new deal
• Tuesday 22 February 1.30pm-3.30pm, UCU/People & Planet climate emergency teach out: 'Fossil Free Careers'
• Monday 28 February 2pm-3.30pm, Challenging casualisation in education
• Monday 28 February 4pm-5.30pm, Challenging casualisation in education
• Tuesday 01 March 4pm-5.30pm, Challenging casualisation in education

Cost of living crisis: protest this Saturday 12 February

A wave of demonstrations sparked by the cost of living crisis and organised by the People's Assembly is planned for this Saturday 12 February. Please share details widely and support your local event.