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The Friday email: 24 October 2025

24 October 2025

Two concurrent industrial action ballots

At present there are two major national, statutory industrial action ballots in UCU:

These industrial action ballots are conducted by the independent election scrutineer Civica Election Services as postal votes, as required by law.

Ballot eligible UCU members should have received postal ballot packs at their preferred mailing address. The postal ballot pack looks like this (pink, with UCU and Civica Election Services branding). Members must then return their vote by post to Civica Election Services using the pre-paid envelope, like these two UCU members are doing. 

Please note that there is no online option to vote as that is not permitted by law.

We are the University: higher education industrial action ballot

In UK higher education, UCU is conducting an industrial action ballot involving 137 universities/higher education institutions (corresponding to 145 UCU branches). The timetable is the following:

  • Monday 20 October 2025: ballot opened
  • Monday 27 October 2025 (09:00): replacement ballot request form opens 
  • Thursday 20 November 2025 (17:00): last day for new members to join UCU, or for members to update their membership status or membership category (to become ballot eligible), and still be automatically included in the HE industrial action ballot
  • Sunday 23 November 2025 (23:59): replacement ballot request form closes 
  • Wednesday 26 November 2025: last 'safe' date to post the ballot
  • Friday 28 November 2025 (17:00): ballot closes.

If you are a UCU member from one of UK HE branches being balloted, you can:

New Deal for FE: further education industrial action ballot

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

  • Monday 13 October 2025: ballot opened
  • Monday 20 October 2025 (09:00): replacement ballot request form opened
  • Tuesday 11 November 2025 (17:00): last day for new members to join UCU, or for members to update their membership status or membership category (to become ballot eligible), and still be automatically included in the FE industrial action ballot
  • Wednesday 12 November 2025 (23:59): replacement ballot request form closes 
  • Thursday 13 November 2025: last 'safe' date to post the ballot
  • Monday 17 November 2025 (17:00): ballot closes.

If you are a UCU member from one of the FE England branches being balloted, you can:

UCU in the news

This week, UCU president-elect Dyfrig Jones spoke to Times Radio's Adam Boulton and urged UCU HE members to vote YES as soon as ballots land. The HE ballot's opening was announced on BBC Breakfast, ITV News and across BBC radio stations. UCU Scotland president Chris O'Donnell told BBC Scotland why UCU HE members would be voting YES. This week the Financial Times reported on the crisis in HE. 

UCU general secretary Jo Grady went on LBC with Iain Dale for a whole hour to take questions from the public. You can see clips from LBC here and here.

This week Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson confirmed university tuition fees in England will increase every year in line with inflation from 2026 onwards. In response, UCU told BBC News and Times Higher the government had 'doubled down on the disastrous tuition-fees funding model, which created the crisis the sector is currently facing'. The Guardian Leader echoed UCU's criticism.

Victory at Warrington and Vale Royal College

UCU members at Warrington and Vale Royal College have accepted a pay increase of 6.5% from 1 August 2025, plus a commitment to guarantee annual increments worth up to £1,000. The deal also includes the merger of the main and upper pay scale, which previously saw teacher's pay capped at £33,725.

In addition, local negotiators have secured an agreement to ensure term-time only staff receive the same bank holiday entitlement as staff on all-year contracts. The branch had called three days of strike action following a 94% vote in support of action, but the threat of strike action was enough to bring the employer back to the table.

Win at the University of the West of Scotland

UCU members at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) were set to take part in twelve days of strikes from Monday 20 October. UWS management has withdrawn the threat of compulsory redundancies, faced with the imminent threat of joint strike action between UCU and EIS-ULA. The university had previously said up to 75FTE would be made redundant. Click here to read comment from the UWS UCU branch chair.

University of Leicester demonstration, 12 November

Leicester UCU members will begin a further two weeks of strikes from 10 November in their fight against redundancies. This follows three weeks of strikes that began in late September. 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.

On Wednesday 12 November a demonstration will be held in Leicester. All UCU members are encouraged to make arrangements to join. Please contact your local branch to confirm reimbursement of travel costs. In order to support local branch treasurers, for any travel costs they pay out to members attending this demonstration, 25% of these costs will be covered by UCU head office.

Details are being finalised but this will likely be a march from Leicester train station around mid day to a rally. It would help the organisers if you could let them know you are coming.

Stop the cuts! Disputes at UK universities

University of Nottingham: Nottingham UCU members will begin 22 further days of action throughout November and December. This follows over four weeks taken in September and October. The ongoing dispute concerns job losses where 95 support and academic related staff remain at risk despite hundreds going under VSS. Nottingham management has made their aims clear for 'phase 2' which will impact academic staff. The reorganisation proposals will see 3thirty departments being merged into three colleges with the university refusing to rule out potential redundancies. UCU estimates a further 200 jobs could be on the line. Messages of solidarity can be sent here and you can also make donations to their local strike fund.

Southampton Solent University: UCU has entered a formal trade dispute with Solent over plans to force all its staff onto inferior pension schemes, paving the way for a strike ballot if management refuses to resolve the dispute. Solent plans to move all staff to a wholly owned subsidiary company, forcing staff out of TPS and LGPS pensions and onto an inferior local defined contribution (DC) pension scheme. Staff who refuse the transfer will have their contracts terminated without notice or redundancy pay, mirroring the most egregious fire and rehire practices, such as those seen at P&O. If Solent management succeeds it will set a dangerous precedent, which could undermine standards across the entire HE sector.

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI): UHI UCU members employed directly by the university will be taking the first of four days of strike action on Thursday 30 October. The university has threatened sixteen staff with redundancy in the latest of many rounds of cuts over the past few years. You can support the branch by signing this petition.

Please click on this page to follow updates from universities in dispute, such as Cardiff, Derby, Dundee, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam, Imperial, Lancaster, Teesside and others.

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).

In addition, one casual vacancy exists on national executive committee (NEC) for a geographically elected member (North West) from the further education sector. Nominations for that casual vacancy must be received by Friday 14 November.

New Ofsted inspection framework

Ofsted is currently conducting test visits and pilots of the new inspection framework.

If your institution has been involved in these trials, we would like to hear from you. In particular we are keen to capture your perspectives on the workload and wellbeing implications of the new framework, and any observations you have on HMI conduct and the new final report.

Please email your thoughts to Angela Nartey or make contact to organise a confidential and informal chat.

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).

Black History Month 2025

As we mark Black History Month 2025, UCU celebrates the rich history, resilience, and ongoing contributions of Black people in education, the trade union movement, and across society.

This is a time to reflect, learn, and take action, to challenge racism and inequality wherever they persist, and to reaffirm our commitment to justice, solidarity, and inclusion.

This year's theme, Standing Firm in Power and Pride, reminds us of the importance of recognising and amplifying Black voices and experiences, past, present, and future. You can also watch a short video on Black History Month featuring former UCU president Maxine Looby. 

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.

Scotland Demands Better march and rally

This will take place on Saturday 25 October in Edinburgh, Horse Wynd outside the Scottish Parliament--10:00 assembly for 11:00 start.

Join UCU members and branches, along with community and third-sector organisations and individuals to demand better jobs and an end to in-work poverty, and campaign against those who are using the very things we are demanding--better public services, investment in our communities and a safety net for those in need--as a foundation for anti-migrant hate and far-right populism.

Statement from UCU's migrant members' standing committee (MMSC)

'We are dismayed to see Trumpian policies being trotted out by Reform and Conservative politicians. This includes policies previously beyond the pale, such as proposals to abolish indefinite leave to remain status. This sort of open racism has no place in civilised society.

'While we oppose the Trumpist agenda of Reform and the Tories, we also demand better of the Labour government. That there are any takers for the far-right message is evidence that Labour is not delivering for workers. We will hold the Labour government to account as part of our efforts to combat the rise of the far-right.

'To our members, particularly our migrant members, we reassure you that your union stands with you.'

Last updated: 24 October 2025