The Friday email: 30 May 2025

New Deal for FE: vote NOW in the electronic consultation

At UCU Congress 2025, further education delegates voted to ballot UCU members at further education colleges in England for strike action. The industrial action ballot will be in support of delivering a New Deal for FE, and will involve a statutory, postal ballot.

Before the statutory, postal ballot takes place, FE England members are consulted in an electronic ballot to assess member support for any strike action. This electronic ballot opened on Thursday 22 May and will close on Friday 20 June.

Eligible UCU members from participating England FE branches should have already received an electronic ballot at their preferred email address. If you are a full UCU FE member and have not received your electronic ballot, you can request a replacement now until Friday 13 June at 12 noon.

Full information about this electronic consultation is available on this page. For the avoidance of doubt, this electronic consultation is for members from participating England FE branches only, and is not for members in higher education.

UCU Congress and sector conferences 2025

The union's supreme policy-making body is its annual Congress, which took place in Liverpool this year from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 May. Key highlights included:

• UCU lays ground for its first higher education strike ballot against the Labour government 
• UCU Congress votes for England-wide further education strike ballot over low pay
• UCU reaffirms commitment to trans rights.

You can click here for more informationon decisions taken by Congress and UCU's further and higher education sector conferences.

UCU is shocked at the horrifying incident that took place on Monday 26 May during the Liverpool FC trophy parade, after Congress 2025 ended. Our thoughts are with those who are affected and we wish those who were injured a swift recovery.

Stop the Cuts! Disputes at UK universities

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

University of Derby is going through mass redundancies following a voluntary scheme. UCU remains in consultation but the branch have set up a petition, and you can add your signature here. You can also click here to read latest coverage in BBC News.

Bournemouth University UCU members will strike on 11, 12, 23 and 24 June in response to job cuts and compulsory redundancies resulting from an organisational restructure. You can send messages of support and solidarity to the branch via here.

University of Dundee UCU members were on strike for five days this week. The strike follows 15 days of action in February and March. Since then university management, in the face of continued industrial action and criticism from the Scottish Government and local politicians, backtracked on original plans to cut 700 jobs. Management initially accepted Scottish Government advice, announcing a reduced figure of 300 job losses through a voluntary process, but the employer is refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies. 

University of Plymouth announced up to 200 jobs at risk with over 100 of these jobs being academic roles. Job losses will impact arts, humanities, business, science and engineering, as well as health particularly the social work and nursing programmes. You can show your support by signing this petition.

Liverpool Hope University intends to axe 39 staff. The threatened cuts will fall on the faculties of education and social sciences, creative arts and humanities, and human and digital sciences. Management claims it needs to make the cuts due to its own predicted deficit, with staff set to go as soon as November 2025.

University of Bradford UCU members voted overwhelmingly (82%) to back strike action on a turnout of 57%. The dispute is over plans to slash £16m from the budget in cuts that will see hundreds of jobs go and multiple courses close. 

Durham University UCU members have voted to take three additional days of strike action in their ongoing dispute over the university's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. The strikes will take place on 13, 14 and 19 June.

Leeds Trinity University were investigated by the Office for Students (OfS) and in a report, published last week, were fined for failures of management and governance. For the full story and comment from UCU click here.

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

University of Nottingham UCU branch is balloting members imminently in a dispute over job cuts. Newcastle University UCU has further strike dates in June and are re-balloting members over massive redundancies. University of Bristol's CALD (Centre for Academic Language and Development) is balloting in June over job cuts.

Finally, please support many other branches where UCU members in higher education are also defending jobs and education.

Industrial action and ballots at further education colleges

Havant and South Downs College UCU members will engage in three days of strike action (13, 18 19 June) following their recent successful ballot UCU members. They will be taking action alongside colleagues from our sister union, NEU, in defence of job cuts and compulsory redundancies. We also encourage UCU members across the country to sign this petition in solidarity.

Meanwhile, Cheshire College South and West (CCSW) UCU members are currently balloting over low pay, and Truro and Penwith College UCU members are balloting over job cuts and redundancies. 

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.

March for the Children of Ukraine, 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).

'Red Line' for Palestine, 4 June

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign is creating a 'red line' for Palestine around Parliament during Prime Minister's Questions to demand a full arms embargo and sanctions on Israel. Join campaigners outside Westminster on Wednesday 4 June at 11:30, wearing red.

Justice for Sheku Bayoh: vigil at public inquiry, 12 June

The public inquiry into Sheku Bayoh's death in police custody in 2015 recommences in Edinburgh on Thursday 12 June. The family have asked for continuing support as they attend the inquiry. Please support the vigil outside the inquiry at Capital House, Festival Square, Edinburgh on Thursday 12 June (from 08:45). Individuals can also request tickets to attend the inquiry on 12 and 13 June to support the Bayoh family.

Malcolm X centenary

Monday 19 May saw 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.