The Friday email: 29 September 2017

Free membership offer: young staff need the union more than ever

From next week, as part of UCU's drive to support education professionals at the start of their careers, we're extremely pleased to offer free membership to postgraduate students contracted to teach and non-lecturer-grade teaching staff in further education (instructors, assessors etc).

The need for strong unions in this age of insecurity is as strong as ever and we think this is an exciting chance to energise UCU and build a trade union culture in places where it doesn't currently exist. Too often younger and new staff have little or no access to professional development support so that's why we are also expanding our free CPD programme as part of the offer to early career education staff.

Read press coverage here and here and please let early careers colleagues in your workplace know about the offer. 

USS under attack - vote yes to defend benefits

A crucial e-ballot is underway to defend USS pensions, so if you work in a university covered by the University Superannuation Scheme (USS) please check your inbox for the email containing a link to vote. The USS fund say contributions must increase by 6.6% or benefits be reduced while the employers' position is that they will not pay a penny more. Show you care about your pension and stand with us by voting yes to defend benefits.  

In the news....

• UCU at Labour Party conference
• Labour launch National Education Service charter
• Bradford College lecturer awarded damages for stress

Read all about it

Further education England pay campaign

Thank you to everyone who voted in the e-ballot on FE pay. The ballot is now closed. Please watch this space for news of next steps in the campaign for a fair deal for FE.

Have your say on adult education

We're looking at how we organise the union in adult education and so please let us know your experiences and how best we can support staff by filling in this short online survey. 

Defend jobs at University of Manchester

Union activists have been out in force at University of Manchester again this week, getting the vote out in a ballot over action to stop up to 140 redundancies. Please show your support with messages to Adam Ozanne. 

People's Assembly demonstration: Sunday 1 October  

UCU is supporting the 1 October demonstration to coincide with the Tory Party conference and will be calling for health, homes, jobs and education and an end to austerity and the pay cap. Please look out for UCU banners which will be joining the march on Liverpool Road from 1.30pm. 

Staff governors' conference: FE skills in a post-Brexit world

How can colleges respond to national challenges and opportunities and how to maximise their potential on the governing body. Open to all staff governors and supported by trade unions as well as the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).  

World Teachers' Day event: 'Teaching in Freedom' 

To mark this year's World Teachers' Day, UCU has teamed up with the NEU NUT section and Amnesty to remember the 43 student-teachers from Ayotzinapa, Mexico, who were forcibly disappeared three years ago. For details of the art exhibition and panel discussion on Thursday 5 October, please click here.