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  7. The Friday email: 25 March 2022
Fri 25 March 2022

The Friday email: 25 March 2022

25 March 2022

Support our strike: fight for higher education

As we end the first week of the current wave of strike action, congratulations to members in 'group one' who have delivered a fantastic programme of solid picket lines, events and actions in support of UCU's Four Fights and USS campaigns. Now it's over to 'group two' branches to carry on the fight next week. Please stand together and support next week's strike action:

  • join picketlines and observe the strike if your branch is taking part
  • send photos and solidarity messages using #OneOfUsAllOfUs or #UCUstrike
  • donate to the fighting fund
  • email your vice-chancellors about the Four Fights and USS pension campaigns.

Meanwhile as our report is published showing that two-thirds of staff are considering leaving the sector, balloting is underway at 149 universities to renew our legal mandate for further action. Please find your ballot paper and vote YES to action. If you've lost your pack don't worry, you can request a replacement here. Voting closes on Friday 8 April.

Further education: pay us respect!

If you work at one of the dozens of colleges currently voting in our e-ballot on pay, workloads and professional respect in further education please have your say in the consultation:

Dispatches from the FE frontline

Our newly elected UCU vice-president Maxine Looby writes in FE Week about why political education should be embedded in the further education curriculum.

Education workers fighting back

Catch up on all the latest local UCU campaigns at your college, university or prison here, including fighting plans to 'fire and rehire' and cut holidays at Richmond Upon Thames, a boycott of Athena Swan at Kingston University and preparations at Barnet and Southgate College to take action over pay and workloads.

Universal Credit rule change impacts casualised workers

Many education workers rely on Universal Credit either to supplement low pay or to see then through periods of non-work, for example during the summer holidays when no teaching work is available. New rules mean that Universal Credit claimants are now only allowed to restrict their search for work to their existing occupation (or level of remuneration) for 4 weeks (previously 3 months). This is likely to affect many UCU members on casualised contracts and you can find out more here.

Climate learning webinars

UCU is running a series of webinars on the climate crisis, and how we can play our part in addressing it. These 90 minute workshops are aimed at helping you run a climate learning event at your institution.

Last updated: 25 March 2022