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  7. The Friday email: 3 October 2025
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The Friday email: 3 October 2025

3 October 2025

Industrial action ballots: a quick recap

UCU is about to launch two major national, statutory industrial action ballots:

These industrial action ballots are conducted by the independent election scrutineer Civica Election Services as a postal vote as required by law. Ballot eligible UCU members will be receiving postal ballot packs at their preferred mailing address (home or work), and must then return their vote to Civica Election Services using the pre-paid envelope.

This is undoubtedly a cumbersome mechanism. Unfortunately there is no online option available for voting for industrial action in the UK, as that is currently unlawful. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has been pushing the current government on this matter.

UCU has some FAQs on industrial action ballots in general--whether you are new to balloting, or need a quick refresher on some of the intricacies, please take a look.

New Deal for FE: further education industrial action ballot

In further education (England FE), UCU is conducting an industrial action ballot involving around 100 UCU branches. The timeframe is the following:

  • Monday 13 October 2025: ballot opens
  • Thursday 13 November 2025: last 'safe' date to return your ballot by post
  • Monday 17 November 2025 (17:00): ballot closes

You can:

Please note that further education is devolved in the UK. FE in Wales and in Northern Ireland follow separate negotiations. FE in Scotland is represented by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS).

We are the University: higher education industrial action ballot

The elected representatives on UCU's higher education committee voted to call an industrial action ballot for all members covered by the JNCHES 2025/26 negotiating umbrella. In total, 138 higher education institutions/employers are involved, corresponding to 145 UCU branches. The timeframe is the following:

  • Monday 20 October 2025: ballot opens
  • Wednesday 26 November 2025: last 'safe' date to return your ballot by post
  • Friday 28 November 2025 (17:00): ballot closes

Last night, we broadcast a UCU Live online event on the 'We are the University' campaign, and you can catch up here on YouTube.

Stop the Cuts! Disputes at UK universities

Sheffield Hallam University: Hallam UCU members have voted decisively for industrial action in their fight against job cuts and worsening working conditions. 79% of participating staff backed strike action and 88% backed action short of a strike, on a turnout of 54%. The dispute centres on management's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies, despite already having slashed around 500 jobs at Hallam during 2024. UCU has also raised the alarm over spiralling workloads as fewer staff are left to do more work.

University of Sheffield: Sheffield UCU members also voted for industrial action. On a turnout of 53%, 77% of members voted to strike. The dispute is over management's plans to put staff in five academic areas at risk of redundancy, as well as continued risk of redundancy to professional services staff across the university. The university announced reviews of staffing in chemistry, civil engineering, management, materials science, and East Asian studies.

University of the West of Scotland: UWS members voted for industrial action. On a turnout of 62%, 78% backed strike action in a dispute over job cuts and university senior management's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies.

Imperial College London: Imperial UCU members will be on strike next week. The strike, which unites all three recognised unions (UCU, UNISON and Unite) centres on management's refusal to increase its pay award or to negotiate improvements to leave, despite rising workloads and massive operating surpluses. You can send messages of support here. Solidarity visits to the picket lines (09:00-11:00) on Tuesday 7 October (Exhibition Road SW7 and the corner of Wood St and South Africa Road W13) or Wednesday 8 October (Exhibition Road SW7) would be very welcome.

University of Leicester: Leicester UCU members began fifteen days of industrial action on 29 September in response to plans to slash jobs. The action comes after an overwhelming 80% of staff backed strike action in a ballot, on a turnout of 62%. Management have told staff in six areas (geography, geology and the environment; education; chemistry; modern languages; history; film studies) that their jobs are at risk as they seek to cut staffing budget by £11m. Hundreds of professional services staff have also been told they face a review that may lead to job losses. You can send messages of solidarity to the branch, and click here to make donations to their strike fund.

Teesside University: UCU has called on Teesside University to think again over plans to cut jobs. Proposals announced say that the university intends to delete 39 principal lecturer posts across four different schools. Those currently in post will be forced to reapply for their jobs, take voluntary redundancy by the end of this month or face being made compulsorily redundant. Click here for the full story.

University of Edinburgh: fresh from their strike action earlier this month, Edinburgh UCU are re-balloting to extend their mandate for industrial action. With staff still facing brutal cuts and jobs being lost now its critical for members to return their ballot papers and vote YES to fight cuts and save jobs. The postal ballot runs until 28 October and you can send messages of solidarity to the branch here.

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI): UCU members at UHI's Executive Office have launched a petition this week to call on their employer to rule out compulsory redundancies. Please sign the petition and share it. The branch is also running an industrial action ballot to oppose these job cuts.

University of Nottingham: members began a period of industrial action for two weeks from 22 September. A further two weeks are planned from 13 October, in the ongoing dispute regarding job losses. University management is making significant cuts and in this first wave there remains 270+ support and academic related staff at risk; this is despite hundreds already leaving via various voluntary schemes. Academic staff will be next and this will likely be announced in the coming months.

University of Dundee: some eleven months after news of the financial and management crisis broke at Dundee, staff are still facing brutal cuts and the very real possibility of compulsory redundancies. After taking multiple days of strike action earlier in the year, Dundee UCU members are re-balloting to extend their mandate to fight cuts and save jobs. The re-ballot will run to 6 October. You can send messages of solidarity here.

Lancaster University: members are continuing to campaign against proposals to sack over 400 staff as part of management plans to slash £35m from the pay bill. UCU members have held stalls in Lancaster on Saturdays over the summer, and have spoken at a recent meeting of Lancaster City Council. They have scoured the support of both the Labour and Green groups on Lancaster City Council, and have launched a statutory industrial action ballot on Friday 12 September.

INTO Manchester industrial action

UCU members at INTO Manchester, a private college for international students, downed tools on 25 and 30 September. Despite the disruption and calls from the union to talk, the college has refused to budge from its pay offer of just a 2% increase, a significant real-terms cut against inflation. The strike comes after an overwhelming 97% of UCU members voted to take strike action, on a turnout of 83%. The college currently charges foundation students up to £18k per year, and last year made over £20m, paying out £15m in dividends.

UK officer and NEC elections 2025-26

Nominations for UCU officer and national executive committee (NEC) members are now open.

More information about these elections, including all the necessary guidance and forms, can be found on the UCU website. The closing date for nominations is Tuesday 11 November (17:00).

The results of the 2025 elections for two casual vacancies on the NEC have now been declared and are also available on the UCU website.

DivestUSS campaign

DivestUSS has launched a campaign to clean up the USS pension scheme. As the climate crisis worsens, USS is still investing our members' pension money in the fossil fuel companies and banks that cause the crisis. DivestUSS wants USS to commit urgently to divest from fossil fuels and use our members' money to transition companies to clean energy. You can find more information about this campaign here.

Power Up! New Organising 4 Power course

The international organising programme, Organising 4 Power (O4P), has a new online course. It's called 'Power Up!' and is open to all regardless of previous organising experience. The course focuses on building capacity and developing winning campaigns. It will run over four sessions, two in November and two in December, coupled with support sessions from UCU facilitators. The deadline to register is Monday 3 November (17:00).

UCU equality group conferences 2025

This year each of UCU's equality groups will have a one-day hybrid conference. The venue will be UCU head office, and the online platform will be Zoom. Those joining remotely will be able to participate fully in the conference, including voting on motions and attending workshops. When registering for the event delegates must select if they wish to attend the conference/s in-person or remotely.

The days of the conferences are outlined below (all from 11:00-16:00):

This year the equality groups conference will have a broad theme of 'Organising against division: building inclusive workplaces, resisting reactionary politics'. To register please use this link, which will take you to the main equality groups conference page.

Green Party conference

Following the Labour Party conference in Liverpool last weekend, this weekend UCU will be in Bournemouth for the Green Party conference, using every opportunity to raise awareness of our fight on pay, terms, and conditions in further education, higher education, adult and community education, and prison education.

Education, immigration and racism: unite against the far right

On Wednesday 8 October (20:00), you can join an online rally organised by UCU members, featuring contributions from UCU general secretary Jo Grady, UCU president Maria Chondrogianni, Kevin Courtney of Stand Up to Racism, Charlotte Khan from Care for Calais, and Samira Ali from Women Against the Far Right.

Campaign for Trade Union Freedom (CTUF) call for Second Employment Rights Bill

The CTUF recognises the progress made in improving workers' rights in the current Employment Rights Bill. It believes, however, that a second bill is needed to strengthen further the rights of all workers. To this end, it has launched the Finishing the Job campaign and UCU members can show their support here.

UCU's international work

UCU is currently involved in a range of international solidarity and policy matters. For a summary of recent work, please see our October 2025 report.

UCU statement on Manchester synagogue attack

UCU is horrified by the appalling attack at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester during Yom Kippur. Please click here to read the full statement from general secretary Jo Grady.

Last updated: 3 October 2025