UCU Left is committed to building a democratic, accountable campaigning union which aims to mobilise and involve members in defending and improving our pay and conditions and defending progressive principles of education.
Posts
- HESC 2021: Defending the principles of Higher Education and resisting attacks on working conditions
Our higher education institutions continue to be a battleground. Marketisation and competition push our employers to drive down the share of income spent on staffing and continually attack our pay, pensions and conditions. At the same time, the Tories’ political agenda aims to curtail the autonomy of universities and stifle critical intellectual inquiry in favour of … - FE sector conference 21: We need a UK-wide fight over pay and conditionsThis year’s FE sector conference is set in the context of a government lining up to impose another decade of austerity. After ‘needlessly allowing tens of thousands of people to die’, the government and the employers now want to make us pay for the public health crisis. This offensive will come in a number of forms. …
Continue reading “FE sector conference 21: We need a UK-wide fight over pay and conditions”
- Resist pandemic-inspired attacks on our rights and working conditions
Congress meets at a time when UCU members (and working people generally) face major attacks on our democratic and employment rights. Our employers are using the pretext of the pandemic to further tighten their managerial grip and drive through cuts and detrimental changes to working practices. At the same time the Tory Government is attempting to bring …Continue reading “Resist pandemic-inspired attacks on our rights and working conditions”
- UCU Congress ‘fringe’ meeting – After lockdown: ‘Culture wars’, austerity and resistance in education
7pm Monday 24 MayZoom registration: http://bit.ly/UCUL02 Speakers include:John McDonnell MPJuliana Ojinnaka NEC-elect, black members rep.Bee Hughes NEC-elect, LGBT+ repKevin Biderman Royal College of Art UCUJo McNeill Liverpool UCU and NECSean Vernell NEC FEand our special guest Dr. Haidar Eid, Associate Professor of English, Al-Aqsa University, Gaza speaking directly from Gaza City on the latest situation there. This year’s UCU Congress takes place amid … - HEC REPORT 30TH April 2021
Report on the HEC covering pay, pensions and motions on Leicester UCU and student number caps - Prepare for action and throw out SWG so-called ‘principles’
You should have received an email from the General Secretary including five principles agreed by a majority of the USS SWG (Superannuation Working Group). Our current position, as determined by the December HE Sector Conference (HESC) is to• defend defined benefits (DB)• negotiate to protect member benefits at the lowest possible contributions• work with or put …Continue reading “Prepare for action and throw out SWG so-called ‘principles’”
- Congress 2021: Motion Prioritisation Recommendations
In this post we offer a suggested list of priority motions that your branch or region might like to consider when you respond to the UCU Congress and HESC 2021 prioritisation consultation. We found the process of identifying motions that should be prioritised problematic for various reasons. Fundamentally, we believe that if branches and regions have submitted motions in good faith they should …Continue reading “Congress 2021: Motion Prioritisation Recommendations”
- FE fights back 2: Vote YES to strike end the Pay Cuts and worsening conditions
A national consultative ballot involving all UCU FE members will take place from 19th April over pay and conditions. It is the first national ballot involving all English colleges in five years. UCU’s Further Education Committee is recommending members to vote YES to take strike action. Lecturers and support staff in the sector have seen their wages cut in …Continue reading “FE fights back 2: Vote YES to strike end the Pay Cuts and worsening conditions”
- UCU Left statement on NEC election results
The results of elections to the NEC were announced on Monday 8th March. They show impressive gains for UCU Left in the composition of the new NEC. Of the 30 seats filled at this election, UCU Left supporters won half of them. This is despite the groupings within UCU shifting to add a third campaigning group …Continue reading “UCU Left statement on NEC election results”
- We stopped the USS Contributions increase in 2018 – mass action can win again
USS Valuation Statement Do you want to increase what you pay to 13.6 – 18.6% for a pension that is already in surplus? If not, prepare for action USS has finally released its valuation proposals, giving a total cost of 42.1 – 56.2%. This means member contributions of 13.6 – 18.6%. Accompanying this are increasing employer …Continue reading “We stopped the USS Contributions increase in 2018 – mass action can win again”