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The Friday email: 18 October 2024

18 October 2024

A New Deal for FE: 2.5% pay recommendation to college staff

College employer representatives the Association of Colleges (AoC) finally made a recommendation on pay last week. The AoC's final recommendation on pay is a 2.5% rise or £750 (whichever is the greater) and you can read full details here.

The recommendation is hugely disappointing and fails to recognise the value and contribution that FE staff across England make, and it does not address the years of below-inflation awards or the £9k pay gap with school teachers. We need fully funded and binding pay increases for all staff in FE. That is why UCU is campaigning for national bargaining and a New Deal for FE

To get involved:

Update on higher education pay and working conditions negotiations

The elected representatives on UCU's higher education committee (HEC) considered the final offer from Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), and voted to reject the pay element of the offer and to accept the terms of reference relating to the pay spine review, workload, casualisation, and equality pay gaps.

HEC also voted to launch an electronic ballot to consult UCU higher education members on the offer. This ballot will be administered by the independent election scrutineer Civica Election Services and we are in the process of finalising the timetable.

Adult and community education meeting

UCU is organising an online meeting of our members working in adult and community education (ACE) on Wednesday 6 November (16:00-17:15), where we are updating members on work we have been doing and campaigning for a minimum tutor wage in ACE. It is also an opportunity for ACE member to tell us what is happening in the workplace. To register for the event please email David Bussell.

Building to win: UCU needs you

UCU is launching the 'Building to win', a local bargaining initiative to build power in every single branch. This means building capacity for local bargaining, and giving branches the training and tools they need to engage in that bargaining. UCU will be hosting a number of meetings on this initiative:

We will also introduce our new and improved in-house system, 'Organising and Bargaining Information System (OBIS)'. It brings together a number of data sets to help branches and regions develop effective organising and bargaining. Click here for the full update from general secretary Jo Grady.

Nominations for UCU NEC, officer and trustee positions

Nominations are now open for the UK-wide positions of UCU vice president (becoming president in 2027-28), honorary treasurer, trustees, and for more than 20 positions on UCU's national executive committee (NEC). Nominations are also sought for officer and committee member positions on UCU Scotland's executive. Full details including role descriptions and nomination forms can be found here. The deadline for completed nominations is Monday 11 November at 17:00. Elections take place in the new year.

Teachers' Pensions Scheme: McCloud Remedy webinar

Quilter Financial Advisers have agreed to provide a bespoke webinar for UCU members on the Teachers' Pensions Schemes (TPS), with particular emphasis on the impact of the McCloud Remedy (Transitional Protection Remedy). If you are eligible for the remedy, whether still in service or already retired, then the webinar will be particularly relevant to you. The webinar will take place on Thursday 7 November 12:30-13:30 and you can click here for registration and more information.

UCU: proud to celebrate Black History Month

The contributions Black people from the Caribbean and Africa have made to the United Kingdom are often ignored or erased. A month cannot do real justice in recognising the many contributions and sacrifices those brave and determined Black people who came before us made. As a union of educators we have a duty and responsibility to recognise, honour and salute those who dedicated their lives to fighting for racial equity and justice. For more information about Black History Month, please visit UCU's dedicated webpage as well as BHM's official website.

UCU LGBT+ webinar on law and culture

On Monday 21 October at 16:00, UCU will host a 90-minute webinar on Zoom focusing on interactions between law and culture in an international LGBT+ context. Speakers include Sen Raj (Manchester Metropolitan University and former chair of Amnesty International); Adrian Jjuuko (executive director of Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, Uganda); Mini Saxena (SOAS). For more information and to register please click here.

Equality groups conference 2024

UCU's annual equality conference is an opportunity to discuss and agree strategies to progress equality issues at work. The 2024 conference will be held from 28 to 30 November at Conference Aston in a hybrid format.

The conference will hold five separate half-day conferences for Black, disabled, LGBT+, migrant and women members, with a joint plenary session for all equality strands. For more information and registration, please use this link which will take you to the main equality groups conference page. Registration deadline is 28 October at 18:00.

Climate and ecological emergency meeting

UCU's annual meeting on climate and ecological emergency will take place on Zoom on Thursday 14 November (11:00-16:00) and you can find full details including registration here. Registration deadline is Thursday 7 November at 17:00.

eVisa and immigration status

The UK government is replacing physical documents with an online system for immigration status, also known as an eVisa. If you currently have a biometric residence permit (BRP) for a visa or ILR, an EEA or EUSS biometric residence card (BRC), or an endorsement stamp or visa sticker in your passport, you need to replace this physical document by the end of December 2024 with an eVisa. An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. You will no longer be able to use your physical documents to return to the UK or prove your immigration status within the UK from 1 January 2025 onwards. You will need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa. Click here for more information on how to do this.

Ceasefire NOW!

UCU joins with many others in Palestine, the UK, and beyond to reiterate the demands for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid, and the lifting of the siege of Gaza. 

We are very concerned by the sharp rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia across the UK and beyond since October 2023. We restate our unwavering opposition to all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia--hate has no place on our campuses or in our society. UCU also has a dedicated 'Ceasefire Now' web area where you can find information and resources.

Appeal for Kropyvnytsky's teachers and students

The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign, in partnership with UCU, has launched a new crowdfunder in support of teachers and students in Kropyvnytsky, a city in central Ukraine. The appeal has been launched to help equip the town's Innovative Gymnasium--where children go to school--so no more children miss out on education even in the heat of war. Click here for further information and how to donate.

Stop the far right: national demonstration in London

A national demonstration will be held on Saturday 26 October, supported by trade unions including TUC, Unite, Unison, Unite, RMT, UCU and many others, to oppose the far right. Meet at 11:30 in Piccadilly (Regent Street St James's), London SW1Y 4QF. Click here for more details.

Last updated: 18 October 2024