The Friday email: 28 November 2025

We are the University HE ballot closes

In UK higher education, UCU has been conducting an industrial action ballot involving 137 universities/higher education institutions (corresponding to 145 UCU branches).

The HE ballot closes today (Friday 28 November) at 17:00. We anticipate receiving results from Civica Election Services, the independent election scrutineer, next week.

Thank you to everyone who voted, as well as UCU branches and staff who have been working intensely for the past weeks on getting the vote out.

New Deal for FE ballot results and January 2026 action

The New Deal for FE industrial action ballot closed last week, on Monday 17 November. You can:

• click here to read the announcement from general secretary Jo Grady
• click here for a list of UCU branches that participated in the New Deal for FE ballot
• click here to view the reports from Civica Election Services to find out the Yes/No vote and the turnout for your college
• click here to read UCU's latest press release on the results
• click here to read coverage in FE News.

In summary:

• UCU members working for 33 employers (now including Myerscough College in Lancashire) have now gained a legal mandate for action
• UCU members at 17 FE colleges have already settled their disputes after winning pay awards so will not need to participate in further action
• At 21 colleges, UCU did not meet the anti-trade union ballot threshold, despite all delivering resounding YES votes for strike action.

The elected representatives on UCU's further education committee (FEC) met on Friday 21 November and decided that there will be three days of strike on Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 January 2026. More information has been sent to FE members who will be involved in the industrial action.

Stop the Cuts! Disputes at UK universities

Imperial College London: Imperial staff have been on strike this week (25-28 November) in a fight for a fair pay award. Further strike action is called for 1-12 December if management refuses to return to negotiations. Click here for the full story.

University of Derby: Derby UCU members will take 3 days of strike action on Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 December 2025 in their fight against compulsory redundancies and course closures.

University of Winchester: Winchester UCU has launched a consultative ballot of members over proposals by university management to establish a subsidiary company through which it plans to employ all new academic and professional staff. New staff face being employed on a worsened remuneration package, without access to the Teachers' Pensions Scheme (TPS) and placed into an inferior defined contribution (DC) pension scheme. The outcome of the consultation will determine next steps taken by the Winchester UCU branch.

Coventry University: Coventry UCU launch a vote of no confidence in the vice-chancellor John Latham due to his mishandling of university finances. This has resulted in vast cuts and redundancies and an almost weekly transfer of staff to newly created subsidiary companies so the university can slash terms and conditions in a desperate bid to save cash. Staff ask, how long it will be before there is no university left? Please sign and share the petition as widely as possible.

Northumbria University: Northumbria management has told staff refusing to move to another pension scheme will have their pay frozen, effectively punishing employees who wish to remain in the Teachers' Pensions Scheme (TPS), and locking them into years of real-terms pay cuts. Northumbria UCU branch has declared a dispute and is considering industrial action. Members under threat are looking to you for support and would like you to sign and share the Megaphone petition launched with the help of the TUC.

Southampton Solent University: Solent UCU has commenced a month-long ballot of its members, over plans to force all Solent staff out of TPS and LGPS pension schemes and onto an inferior local defined contribution (DC) pension scheme, by employing them via a sham subsidiary company. Staff who refuse the transfer will have their contracts terminated without notice or redundancy pay.

Cardiff University: UCU has strongly criticised Cardiff University for putting well over a thousand employees at risk of redundancy. Cardiff UCU is currently preparing for a ballot on taking industrial action to protect jobs and prevent overwork; Cardiff UCU said: 'Together with the 1,800 academic staff who were put at risk of redundancy in January 2025, Cardiff University has now put at least 41% of their overall staff at risk of losing their current jobs in a single year'.

University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University: a combined 28 days of strike action have been hitting Sheffield in disputes over job cuts at Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam universities. Please click here to read the full story.

Lancaster University: Industrial action at Lancaster has been suspended, after management agreed to halt all planned compulsory redundancies for academic staff until at least July 2026. Strikes scheduled for Thursday 27 and Friday 28 November along with ongoing action short of strike, have now been called off following management's U-turn.

University of Nottingham: Nottingham UCU members have agreed to suspend action planned from 17 November following an offer that includes a commitment to no compulsory redundancies before October 2026. Action short of strike will continue until the mandate runs out at the end of the year. Talks are also to start immediately to reverse the decision to suspend 48 courses.

UCU elections 2025-26

Nominations for officer and national executive committee (NEC) positions, and the North West further education casual vacancy have now closed. A full list of candidates can be found on the UCU election webpage.

Ballots for all contested elections are expected to open on Friday 30 January 2026 and close on Monday 2 March 2026.

New Ofsted framework

Has your institution been inspected under the new Ofsted inspection framework or taken part in any of the Ofsted pilots or test visits? If so, we would value your feedback to support our conversations with the government and Ofsted. Key questions include: What was different? Was it more collaborative? What were the workload and wellbeing implications? What are your reflections on the report card? Please contact the UCU policy team to share your feedback or organise a confidential conversation.

Stop the Rosebank Oil Field

The UK government is considering approval for Rosebank, the largest undeveloped oil field in the UK. If approved, it would produce more carbon dioxide than the world's 28 poorest countries combined, undermine the Paris Agreement, and line the pockets of companies linked to human rights abuses--while doing little for energy security.

Trade unions are calling for a rapid, just transition to renewable energy, with secure jobs for UK workers. UCU members can add their support to the open letter urging the government to stop Rosebank.

St Andrew's Day anti-racism and anti-fascism march and rally 2025

UCU is supporting the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) annual anti-racism and anti-fascism march in Glasgow, highlighting Scotland's long-standing commitment to inclusivity, solidarity with refugees, and the rejection of far-right ideologies. The march brings together trade unions, community groups, activists and individuals from across the country to stand united against racism, discrimination and xenophobia. Join us on Saturday 29 November. Gather at 10:30 at Barrowlands Park (G1 5BG) where the march will begin and proceed to Adelaide Place (209 Bath St, Glasgow G2 4HZ) for an indoor rally at 12 noon.

Solidarity with the people of Ukraine

In response to an urgent action appeal in support of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine (TUESWU), UCU has written to the Ukrainian authorities calling for them to withdraw legislative changes that threaten the status of the teaching profession and violate international labour standards. Education trade unions in Europe also stand with teachers and trade unions in Ukraine in their demands for a just and lasting peace. UCU is affiliated to the UK-based Ukraine Solidarity Campaign (USC) and their AGM will take place on Saturday 6 December.