The Friday email: 29 November 2024

Higher education: last chance to have your say in the consultative ballot on final pay offer

The consultative ballot on the higher education (HE) pay and working conditions offer for 2024/25 will close next week (Tuesday 3 December at 17:00).

Members working at these HE institutions should have received an email containing your unique link to vote from Civica Election Services. Unfortunately the deadline for requesting a replacement electronic ballot has elapsed.

Your elected reps on UCU's higher education committee (HEC) recommend that you reject the pay element of the offer and accept the terms of reference relating to the pay spine review, workload, contract types, and equality pay gaps. You can:

• click here for more information including reports from HE officers and the negotiators
• click here for a detailed FAQ addressing practical issues such as timetable and eligibility.

For the avoidance of doubt, this consultation is for UCU members in these higher education institutions only. UCU members in further education, prison education, and adult and community education have separate campaigns and negotiation processes.

New Deal for FE: the money's there, we want our share

You can help ensure the extra money announced in the Budget for further education (FE) is spent on college staff by using our template tool here to email your MP.

Year after year FE staff suffer pay cuts and intolerable workloads: it is no wonder the sector is now seeing a recruitment and retention crisis that threatens to derail government plans for community renewal, the 'skills agenda' and economic recovery. 

The £300m extra funding for FE announced in the Budget is welcome but this money must be used to pay staff fairly. Please click here to ask your MP to make representations to the education secretary. 

University of Glasgow UCU petition

University of Glasgow has placed more than 80 staff from its Social and Public Health Sciences Unit (SPHSU) in the School of Health and Wellbeing at risk of redundancy after the Medical Research Council (MRC) decided in early 2022 to close their research units. The branch has set up a petition and are asking members to sign it to show solidarity and call on the university to stop the redundancies.

UCU UK trustee, officer and NEC elections: nominations

Nominations for trustee, officer and national executive committee (NEC) positions have now closed. A full list of candidates can be found here. Ballots for all contested elections are expected to open on Monday 27 January 2025 and close on Monday 3 March 2025.

Staff governors' conference

The 2024 staff governors' conference will take place online on Wednesday 4 December (9.00am-12.30pm). This long standing event developed by the Education and Training Foundation in conjunction with UCU, AoC, Holex, Unison and Unite has been referred to as the must attend event for FE staff governors. Click here for registration and more information.

Organising for Power: The Core Fundamentals

Register now for the Organising for Power online course 'The Core Fundamentals' and get the skills and knowledge you need to develop winning campaigns. This international course has seen people from 115 countries attend over the past five years. Learn how to hold structured organising conversations, develop mini campaigns to build solidarity and identify natural workplace leaders. The course runs weekly with classes running from 17:00-19:00, from 13 February to 20 March 2025.

Alongside the weekly evening classes UCU will be hosting support sessions, with an initial overview to ensure you get the most out of the course.

Women and State Pension Inequality petition

Women and State Pension Inequality (WASPI) have launched a new petition calling on the UK government to urgently set up a compensation scheme for WASPI women. In March 2024, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's investigation concluded that women born in the 1950s were owed financial redress and an apology due to maladministration from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). 100,000 signatures are needed to secure a parliamentary debate; please sign and share.

eVisas: take action now

From 1 January 2025, the UK government is replacing physical documents with an online system for immigration status, also known as an eVisa. We are urging all affected members to take action now as you will no longer be able to use your physical documents to return to the UK or prove your immigration status within the UK. Click here for a step-by-step guide on setting up an eVisa as well as slides from the eVisa webinar delivered by Bindmans Solicitors on 18 November 2024 (UCU membership login required).

Ceasefire NOW! activities

The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is observed by the United Nations on 29 November each year, and you can also join university workers and students across the world in responding to the call from Palestine under the slogan 'United against Scholasticide' for a week of action against scholasticide and in solidarity with Gaza's Universities 23-30 November.

Scottish TUC St Andrew's Day anti-racism and anti-fascism march and rally

Gather at Saturday 30 November at 10:30, at Glasgow Green (McLennan Arch). This year's theme is 'Resilient and rising: marching for 40 Years' as the march marks its 40th anniversary since starting in 1983 to counter the rising prominence of far right groups. Again, in 2024 we need UCU branches and members to join the Scottish TUC, other trade unions, community groups, and activists marching in solidarity with refugees and rejecting far right ideologies.

16 Days in 16 Ways campaign

The international '16 days in 16 ways' campaign, led by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership, began on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women), and runs until 10 December (International Human Rights Day). All members are encouraged to show their support in a range of ways: from sharing information about domestic abuse and sexual harassment policies, to offering help to local gender-based violence organisations. More information is available here.