The Friday email: 16 May 2025

Protect Education NOW national rally

On Saturday 10 May, UCU called a rally in central London for UCU members and supporters to come together. Higher education, further education, prison education, adult and community education--united.

Members and branches from across the country marched to the Houses of Parliament. Guest speakers included John McDonnell MP, Mariela Kohon (TUC), Amira Campbell (NUS) and Andrea Bradley (EIS); there were also plenty of members from our sister education unions, students, supporters and activists.

Thank you to everyone who came to the rally. You can click here for more photos and watch coverage on BBC News here.

Stop the Cuts at UK universities

We are asking everyone to continue to sign and share UCU's Stop the Cuts petition.

University of Greenwich intends to axe up to 319 staff, around a quarter of its total workforce. The cuts will fall on the faculty of liberal arts and sciences, faculty of engineering and science, and the Greenwich Business School. Click here for the full story. 

University of Greater Manchester's vice-chancellor George Holmes and two senior members of staff have been suspended as police confirmed an investigation was under way into allegations of financial irregularities. You can click here for UCU's comment.

Keele University is set to make another 150 job cuts. UCU members were on strike for five days; click here for coverage on BBC News.

Newcastle University UCU branch were also on strike this week (12-16 May) in a dispute over job cuts and redundancies. See coverage on BBC Look North (about 07:50 in).

University of East Anglia UCU were on strike this week (13-16 May) in a dispute over compulsory redundancies, financial accountability, and transparent governance. 

University of Edinburgh UCU members are currently voting in an industrial action ballot (closing on 20 May) in a dispute over management's threats of £140m of cuts and failure to rule out compulsory redundancies. Around 350 staff are reportedly opting to take voluntary severance.

University of Bradford UCU members are also voting in a strike ballot over plans to axe at least 300 jobs that will see chemistry and film and television courses shut down.

Bournemouth University UCU members are being balloted for strike action over a proposed restructure and redundancy dismissals which will put 150-200 staff at risk. The branch is seeking a commitment of no compulsory redundancies, or a sizeable reduction in job cuts from the employer.

University of Liverpool UCU members (academic-related and professional services) are currently balloting in a dispute over management's refusal to reach agreement over on-site attendance.

University of Lincoln branch is balloting members imminently for industrial action, following the failure of management to rule out compulsory redundancies. The University has announced up to 285 potential redundancies, including the closure of the UK's only Equality, Diversity and Inclusion institute. This is on top of the 200+ jobs that went via voluntary means last year. Please sign this petition in solidarity.

Kingston University branch is also balloting members imminently over the university's failure to commit to avoid compulsory redundancies. This involves closure of humanities and courses in criminology, politics and sociology.

Finally, please support branches such as Durham University, Birmingham City University and many others where UCU members in higher education are also defending jobs and education.

New Deal for FE: upcoming electronic consultation

At the end of May 2025, FE delegates at UCU Congress will make crucial decisions about the next steps of the New Deal for FE campaign. Members can read the FE motions (from page 47) here

Some motions propose a strike ballot in the autumn. If these motions are passed, ballot eligible UCU members in England FE colleges will receive a postal ballot paper and clear information on why the vote is vital.

Before any strike ballot, an electronic consultation will be held to assess member support--full and final information about this electronic consultation will be available on this page from early next week.

Higher education pay and working conditions negotiations update

The joint higher education trade unions (Unite, UNISON, UCU, GMB and EIS) have been meeting with the employers' representative, Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), to negotiate on the 2025/26 pay and working conditions claim. The unions and UCEA last met on Thursday 15 May 2025; UCU staff are currently working through details and will provide an update to UCU branches and members involved in the 2025/26 negotiation round as soon as possible.

Academic boycott of Brunel University over mass redundancies

UCU has declared an academic boycott of Brunel University London in response to the institution's continued pursuit of mass redundancies. The boycott has begun on Tuesday 15 April 2025, unless the university withdraws the threat of compulsory redundancies, provides transparent financial information, enters collective conciliation talks through Acas, and reinstates those already involuntarily dismissed.

UCU is asking members, supporters, and the international academic community to observe the boycott by:

• not applying for jobs at Brunel
• not attending or organising academic or other conferences at the university
• not giving talks or lectures at Brunel
• not accepting visiting appointments at Brunel
• not contributing to academic journals edited at or produced by the university
• not taking on roles as external examiners for Brunel's taught courses.

Northern Ireland FE pay and workload dispute

In Northern Ireland, FE employers have made a full and final offer of 8.5% over two years with associated commitments to address lecturer workload, produce a business case for pay parity with schoolteachers in academic year 2025/26, and review the industrial relations framework. A consultative ballot has been sent out by email to Northern Ireland FE members, and voting closes midday on Monday 19 May. UCU is recommending acceptance of the offer.

Havant and South Downs College: strike ballot

A strike ballot has opened at Havant and South Downs College on Wednesday 7 May in a dispute over proposed restructure and redundancies that puts up to 106 staff at risk. College management has stated that it needs to reduce staff costs by at least £4.5m by 2025-26. If you are a UCU member at Havant and South Downs College please look out for your postal ballot.

We also encourage UCU members across the country to sign this petition in solidarity.

Stop redundancies at the University of Derby: sign the petition!

Like many UCU branches, University of Derby is going through mass redundancies following a voluntary scheme. The first target are the professorial and associate professorial grades. The entire group were put at risk but the university have now changed this to 35. This is still a near 50% cull of those grades. UCU remains in consultation but the branch have set up a petition, and you can add your signature here.

UCU Congress and sector conferences 2025

The union's supreme policy-making body is its annual Congress, which is taking place in Liverpool from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 May. Please note that this year's Congress is in a hybrid format, so delegates could attend in-person or online. Registration of delegates is now closed.

Congress includes separate annual meetings of UCU's further and higher education sector conferences, where policies particular to those areas are decided. You can click here for more information and for motions to be debated.

UCU Green Futures newsletter, May 2025

The second edition of Green Futures, the newsletter of the Climate and ecological emergency committee (CEEC), has just been published. It carries information on the UCU South West green reps network; prison education and climate change; Green and environmental motions at Congress 2025; and much more. Click here to download the Green Futures newsletter.

UK Covid-19 Inquiry: Every Story Matters

We encourage all UCU members to share their experiences of the pandemic with the UK Covid-19 Inquiry via Every Story Matters. This video explains how Every Story Matters works and how experiences shared contribute to the ongoing, independent public inquiry. Remember to include the employer's name in any submissions relating to your workplace. Last date for submissions is Friday 23 May at noon

Malcolm X centenary

Monday 19 May is the 100th anniversary of Malcolm X's birth. UCU will be honouring his memory and legacy with a series of inspirational quotations, speeches, recommended readings, audio and visual materials plus personal contributions from UCU members. Please click this page for reflections from Maxine Looby, UCU's first Black president. 

Join us on Thursday 22 May (19:00-21:30) at the Festival of Debate in Sheffield, where Kehinde Andrews (Professor of Black Studies, Birmingham City University) will discuss his new book, Nobody Can Give You Freedom: The Real Mission of Malcolm X.

Nakba 77 and national demonstration for Palestine, Saturday 17 May

Thursday 15 May marked 77 years of Nakba, the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the war of 1948. On Saturday 17 May there will be a national demonstration in central London to demand an end to government and corporate complicity in Israel's atrocities, call for a permanent ceasefire and justice for Palestine.

March for the Children of Ukraine, Sunday 1 June

In the shadow of war, a devastating humanitarian crisis has been unfolding in Ukraine--the forced abduction and displacement of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. Along with the TUC and several other UK trade unions, UCU is supporting a demonstration to demand freedom for these Ukrainian children. The March for the Children of Ukraine will be held in London on Sunday 1 June (International Children's Day).