They're ready for university. But are our universities ready for them? 10,000+ jobs gone. Courses cut. Staff stretched to breaking point. Students deserve better. #SaveHigherEducation #ucu
Maxine Looby
@mybool.bsky.social
Educator | Trade Union Activist | Negotiator | Join UCU today! https://www.ucu.org.uk/join
On Friday a wife lost a husband, children lost a father, and so many people lost a friend, and colleague. We stand with Professor Jason Arday's family, friends and colleagues. Tonight at 6pm, with the support of Jason's family, we will join the vigil in Trafalgar Square.
We would encourage all UCU members in London to attend the vigil for Jason Arday which will take place on Monday in Trafalgar Square at 6pm. Bring your love and solidarity.
All our thoughts are with Jason’s family and loved ones.
Jo Grady@drjogrady.bsky.social · 5d agoRest in peace, Jason.
Up to half of FE lecturers walk away within three years. Not because they stopped caring but because the workload broke them. Chronic overwork. Escalating stress. No support. This is a workforce crisis.
New section of the UCU website dedicated to the Workload's not working campaign. Keep up to date with the campaign as it progresses and is rolled out more widely. This week, members in the first cohort of training are taking place in a week of action at their branches www.ucu.org.uk/article/1453...
ucu.org.uk
How much of your week is spent actually teaching? Turns out it’s the smallest part of the job for our further education members. The rest? Admin. Paperwork. Chasing. Reporting and everything in between. Teaching is what they trained for. It’s what students need. Workload’s not working.
www.linkedin.com/posts/associ...
Critical professionalism: why we all need the courage to question | Association of Colleges
What happens when education becomes more about compliance than conscience? In this weeks Think Further article, Dr Martin Hoskin explores how performativity, metrics, and accountability can risk over...
linkedin.com
📢 Teaching staff at Windsor Forest Colleges Group will walk out tomorrow for the third time this year over a 'derisory' low pay rise offer of 1.7 per cent https://feweek.co.uk/windsor-college-staff-storm-out-over-pay-again/
Windsor college staff storm out over pay – again
Teachers will strike tomorrow across the Windsor Forest Colleges Group
feweek.co.uk
Further education is a class issue. FE colleges are lifelines for working-class communities, driving opportunity, skills and local growth. But staff are doing more for less. Workloads rising. Pay falling behind. If the government is serious about growth they need to properly fund FE.
in higher education, warning that failure to act risks “irreparable damage” to the sector. Universities up and down the country are looking to downgrade staff pension benefits. Read @drjogrady.bsky.social's letter to the Education Secretary and Skills Minister 👇
Another day out and proud on the picket lines today at Northumbria University. Staff are fighting to defend the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and stop management’s attempt to force them out through pay freezes. This is about dignity, security and refusing to let pensions be stripped away.
Show your support for staff out on the pickets again today at the University of Essex. Over 400 jobs. Southend Campus on the chopping block. This is a wrecking plan for education, for jobs and the city. Rally to save Southend Campus: Sunday 8 March, 1pm, Pier Hill → Broadway. Join us.
Reform mayor of Lincolnshire has voted to slash ESOL. A clear signal of the damage Reform intends to inflict on our communities. Demanding migrants speak English then cutting the very provision that makes that possible. www.ucu.org.uk/article/1441...
Reform cuts ESOL funding as it doesn't help "native Lincolnshire people"
Responding to a report that Reform mayor of Lincolnshire Andrea Jenkyns is pushing ahead with plans to scrap all funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) from 2027, UCU attacked the ...
ucu.org.uk
From today, staff at Durham University begin working to rule. No more covering for the hundreds of jobs that have been cut. Staff will work strictly to contracted hours and withdraw goodwill. Universities cannot operate on unpaid labour. www.ucu.org.uk/article/1441...
Durham University staff begin industrial action this week
Staff at Durham University will begin working to rule tomorrow.
ucu.org.uk
Hustings recordings for the VP (FE) and VP (HE) elections are up and can be viewed here www.ucu.org.uk/article/1419... If you haven't posted your ballot yet give these a watch (grab a brew, they're 15mins each) and hopefully it helps you back a candidate.
UCU UK elections 2025-26
UCU has a national executive committee, elected by the union's members. Elections take place annually.
ucu.org.uk
Check out these vids from Mark laying out why he deserves your vote for VP from the HE sector.
Mark Pendleton@markpendleton.bsky.social · 6mo agoFor the Monday morning folk: I’ll be skeeting my answers to the #ucu VP hustings each day this week. Intro comments out yesterday and now the first member-submitted question (and my shortest answer at 42 seconds): “What political parties, if any, are you a member of?”
Take a moment to listen to the realities of teaching in Prison Ed from the wonderful Pauline Rattery. I heard many stories yesterday at the Prison Ed AGM. These amazing educators do an incredible job under the most challenging circumstances. youtu.be/t2WsiZCUhqM?...
The Real Experience of Teaching in Prisons | Prison Education | University and College Union
YouTube video by UCU - University and College Union
youtu.be
Reposting this as people probs have their ballot papers now!!
UCU Commons@ucucommons.org · 7mo agoFrom tomorrow, Friday 30 January, ballot papers will start to arrive by post for VP (HE and FE), and several key positions on our NEC. We're supporting our own @markpendleton.bsky.social for VP (HE) and independent @suzitoole.bsky.social for VP (FE) & lots of other great people. Please share! #UCU
Last night I caught up with UCU’s prison educators, exceptional members doing amazing work to change lives. They deserve safety on the job, job security, decent pay and respect. I’m proud to have their support, and all of us should back their campaign for change: www.ucu.org.uk/UnlockingFut...
Join the University and Colleges Union branch at the University of Dundee today. Our strike action and lobbying was a major factor in securing additional funding for the University. We consistently protect our members and ask for redundancies to be ruled out. Join now - www.ucu.org.uk/join
Join UCU
Why join UCU? Over 120,000 of your colleagues have chosen to belong to UCU - the largest union and most effective voice for people like you working in post-school education.
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Staff at Truro and Penwith College will strike on Monday 23 February. Management imposed a 2% pay award, half the level recommended by the AoC - thats a real-terms pay cut. Fair pay. Manageable workloads. Proper time for students.
Truro & Penwith College staff to strike over low pay & high workloads
Staff at Truro and Penwith College will strike on Monday 23 February in an escalating dispute over low pay and poor working conditions
ucu.org.uk
Show your support to our amazing colleagues taking action at Northumbria today!
Seb Breitenbach@speleoseb.bsky.social · 6mo agoThe Line is drawn! Don’t cross it - join it! @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk 💪 We dispute! The pension steal is shameful! is the VC offering a salary cut? Mhmm - thought so! 😡
Thursday university of Essex staff will be taking to the picket lines to say no to cuts, no to job losses and no to the closure of the Southend campus. @jeremycorbyn.bsky.social stands with staff, students and @unison.org.uk as we fight together.
Staff ,supporters and students gathered outside Firth Court today in solidarity with colleagues locked out and facing withheld pay after lawful strike action at @sheffielducu Punishment is not negotiation. ✊
📢 Staff on casualised contracts: have your say UCU’s annual meeting takes place Sat 28 Feb (hybrid) at UCU HQ & on Zoom. Share your voice and shape how we fight insecurity at work Register by 17 Feb ucu.wufoo.com/forms/annual...
Annual Meeting of Staff on Casualised Contracts 26
Saturday, 28 February 2026
ucu.wufoo.com