Welcome to UCU Congress 2025, whether you are attending in-person or online. Congress meets at an important and uncertain time in world events and for UCU. At times like these we need worker solidarity and democratic trade unions more than ever.
In post-16 education union activists continue to battle the ravaging effects of neo-liberal
economics, marketisation and under-funding on both students’ learning and the pay and
conditions of workers. We are here because we believe in struggling for both education
and employment rights. Our sector conferences on Sunday need to discuss and work out
strategies to win on jobs, pay and conditions for all.
In HE, locally UCU branches have put up stalwart resistance to the employer offensive,
but we need a co-ordinated UK-wide fightback. HE needs a new funding model, not
based on student tuition fees. In FE some branches have made gains in local bargaining,
but the sector needs a fully-funded pay rise. Please see our UCU Left FE / HE leaflets for
our position on motions to FESC and HESC.
Worldwide we see the continuing devastation of the planet from the climate emergency,
with climate change deniers in government exacerbating the problem. Justifiably there
are several motions on the environment on the Congress agenda.
Congress will also debate motions rightly criticising the Labour Government’s
abandoning their commitments to a Green New Deal and imposing austerity policies
(maintenance of two-child cap on benefits, means-testing of winter fuel allowance and
cuts to benefits, including PIP). These austerity policies give ammunition to the far-right,
including Reform UK.
Internationally the horrors of genocide continue in Gaza, backed by Trump’s proposal to
take control of and “redevelop” Gaza. In Europe governments are planning to increase
defence spending and Trump threatens to annex countries. We must resist a world that
prioritises war over human rights and self-determination.
The equality agenda is under massive attack, and we must pass motions that resist
the demonisation of migrants and refugees; attacks on women’s abortion rights;
repeal of equality laws and employment policies; attacks on transgender people;
and encouragement of racism and xenophobia. In the USA the whole framework of
affirmative action is being destroyed. In the UK the Supreme Court ruling that trans
women are not women for the purposes of the Equality Act has left trans, non-binary and
gender diverse people in legal limbo and has encouraged bigotry and transphobia.
Trade unions must be central to resistance to austerity and war and in defence of equality
for all. We hope UCU Congress creates policy that rises to these challenges.
Please look out for our daily UCU Left leaflets which highlights key motions and provides
some voting advice with rationales.
Please come to the UCU Left fringe meeting – A World in Turmoil: War, racism and
cuts – how do we resist? – at 7.15pm on Saturday 24 May at the Pullman Hotel – full info below. Online delegates can join on zoom, register here.
If you agree with our ideas join UCU Left.
Congress Notes
You can download our Congress Notes pamphlet as a pdf below, or follow the links at the bottom of this page to read individual articles online.
UCU Left Congress Fringe
Post-16 education has been chronically underfunded and is at breaking point. War rages on in Palestine. Reform UK and racists have gained confidence. But we can turn the tide on this despair.
Join us to discuss how we unite the struggles and organise.
Speakers:
Ian Byrne, Labour MP, (Liverpool West Derby)
Steeven, Birmingham Bin Striker
Bee Hughes, Trade Unionists for Trans Rights
Chantelle Lunt, Merseyside BLM
Fabio Santoro, Si Cobas (Italy)
& speakers from FE and HE.
7.15pm on Saturday 24 May at the Pullman Hotel – full info below. Online delegates can join on zoom, register here.
Congress Notes Articles
Post-16 Education at the cross roads: national action now! by Sean Vernell, City and Islington College, NEC and FE National Pay Negotiator
From Boom to Bust to Fightback? We need to mobilise our members to defend the University by Sean Wallis, London Region Secretary
FE needs unity in action to improve funding by Richard McEwan (New City College) and Regi Pilling (Westminster Kingsway College), both NEC and national FE pay negotiators
Stop and reverse the cuts to Adult Skills Funds by Safia Flissi, ESOL Lecturer at South and City College Birmingham and NEC and NEC
Organising for Palestine on campus: from repression to resistance by Anne Alexander, comms officer for Cambridge UCU and a member of University and College Workers for Palestine and BRICUP
Trans Rights Are Human Rights by Bee Hughes, LJMU UCU and LGBT+ Members’ Standing Committee
No more lip service on Racism – it’s time for action! by Juliana Ojinnaka, Chair, UCU BMSC
Building anti-racist education by Regi Pilling – Westminster Kingsway College and NEC
Welfare not Warfare: Defend Disability Benefits – Defend Our Rights by Roddy Slorach (Imperial College UCU) and Christina Paine (London Met UCU and NEC)
Casualisation – a blight on post-16 education by Christina Paine (London Met UCU, NEC) and Cecily Blyther (Petroc UCU), both members of the Anti-Casualisation Committee
For a negotiated and fair settlement of the dispute with Unite by Liz Lawrence – Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Secretary