Tag: education

HE Ballot 2025 – GTVO materials

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ballot envelope
UCU began a formal industrial action ballot of members across the UK on Monday 20 October for 6 weeks. 

UCU is calling for:

  • a pay uplift that is at least RPI + 3.5% or £2,500, whichever is the higher, on all pay points,
  • joint action to protect national agreements relating to terms and conditions of employment, and
  • a national agreement to avoid redundancies, course closures, and cuts to academic disciplines across the sector.

On this page are GTVO resources for reps and activists for this campaign.

The ballot and GTVO

Every UCU member working for a JNCHES employer is being asked to vote. The ballot is ‘aggregated’, that is, all ballots are counted together. This means that if we get a valid mandate, every union member, every branch balloted, will be able to take action together. No-one will be left behind.

But it also means trade union reps have to campaign for every vote. Thanks to the Tory Anti-Union Law, 50% of the entire balloted constituency must participate in the ballot. This anti-democratic measure is still imposed on trade unions over a year after Labour was elected promising its repeal. Before we can take any action over jobs or pay, we need a ‘Get the Vote Out’ campaign organised by grassroots union reps to convince members to vote.

There is unity across the trade unions. The EIS is also balloting its members in JNCHES universities in Scotland. UNITE and UNISON branches are being individually balloted. The unions are coordinating their ballots to start on 20 October, with UNITE ending slightly later. GMB sends its solidarity to the other trade unions: it is in dispute but not yet balloting.

This campaign is a joint one.

Watch: Organising to Get The Vote Out in your branch

See also

Rally: Defending jobs at the University of Liverpool

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Image shows University of Liverpool UCU banner, with slogan “You’ll never march alone”

12pm Monday 10th May 2021

The University of Liverpool is making 47 academic staff in Health and Life Sciences redundant in May 2021.

The rationale for these redundancies is based upon entirely bogus research metrics. The cuts are being driven by a cynical restructuring exercise under the cover of the pandemic. You can read more about the dispute here: www.hls47.co.uk

We are determined to stop this attack on jobs. The UCU branch voted by 90% in favour of industrial action. We will begin with action short of strike on 10th May, and three weeks of strike action will begin on 24th May, if the University does not take these redundancies off the table.

Join our rally to build solidarity and fight these cuts!

Speakers include:

  • Vicky Blake, UCU National President
  • Anthony O’Hanlon, University of Liverpool UCU
  • Noreen O’Sullivan, Liverpool Hope University UCU
  • Saira Weiner, Liverpool John Moores University UCU
  • Kevin Biderman, Royal College of Art UCU
  • John McDonnell, MP
  • Chair: Jo McNeil, University of Liverpool UCU

The attack on jobs at Liverpool is part of a wave of cuts spreading through universities. What happens at Liverpool will affect the confidence of other employers to push through cuts, so building solidarity for UCU Liverpool really matters.

Show your solidarity with Liverpool:

Liverpool UCU: You’ll Never March Alone

Launch the Fightback Across Post-16 Education

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Image shows a line drawing of raised fists, and details of the event

Campaign rally organised by the UCU Solidarity Movement

6:30pm Thursday 1st July 2021

The fight against job cuts at Liverpool and Leicester universities has reached a crucial stage. After recent strikes, members of both branches are now taking part in marking and assessment boycotts as part of their campaigns. Management at Liverpool have announced that they are imposing 100% pay docking on all staff who participate.

Meanwhile, there is now a real prospect of a fightback that can unite the entire union membership in defending the whole post-16 education sector.

Strike ballots over pay and conditions in 20 FE colleges are ongoing. And the decisions from Congress and sector conferences mean that universities are relaunching the Four Fights dispute and preparing for a fight in defence of USS pensions.

On 2nd July, the HE Committee will discuss how to implement this mandate. UCU’s policy is to launch industrial action ballots across pre- and post-92 HE as well as FE, at a time when members in prisons and in Adult Community Education are standing up against cuts.

We are on the verge of a potential co-ordinated struggle for the future of the post-16 sector, in which we can lead the trade union movement to defend education. We now need to organise to ensure we can deliver united cross-sectoral action.

The UCU Solidarity Movement has therefore called a rally on Thursday 1st July to highlight these issues and other initiatives such as the campaign in Defence of the Arts, as well as providing an opportunity for UCU branches to build solidarity for local disputes.

Speakers include:

  • Vicky Blake – UCU President
  • Ant O’Hanlon – University of Liverpool UCU
  • Deepa Driver – USS Pensions Negotiator
  • Jane Inskip – Vice Chair of Novus branch – prison education
  • Robyn Orfitelli – University of Sheffield UCU
  • Sean Vernell – UCU NEC and Vice Chair of the Further Education Committee
  • Tanveer Ahmed – Royal College of Art UCU
  • Donny Gluckstein – EIS FELA – Scottish further education
  • Plus speakers from Liverpool and Leicester UCU branches

Please circulate this notice among colleagues, share the details on social media, and ensure your branch is well represented at the rally.

We are planning a Twitter Storm between 1:00pm and 2:00pm on Thursday to publicise the Rally. Please be prepared to tweet and quote retweet messages on your Twitter. Use the hashtag #UCUFightsBack and include the signup link in your scheduled tweets.

This event is for all across post-16 education. If you would like to help build the event or get involved in the UCU Solidarity Movement, please join our next planning meeting at 6pm on Wednesday 30th June.

Liverpool UCU March For Health Jobs

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Image shows a big pink poster advertising the March For Health Jobs.

12:30pm Saturday 10th July 2021

Meet at the famous Bombed Out Church, Berry Street, Liverpool city centre

This demonstration has been called by UCU University of Liverpool and TUC Liverpool, to highlight the fight for jobs in the city, including those at the university. Fire and Rehire fights, such as Manchester bus drivers, have been won by determined action. We need to build on these and other successful union actions throughout the trade union movement, and fight for all jobs.

At the University of Liverpool, 47 teachers and researchers in the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences were due to be made redundant this summer, but industrial action by UCU members has reduced this number to 21. We are determined to save every job, through strikes, working to contract, a marking & assessment boycott, and protests.

The solidarity shown by other trade unionists and activists has been crucial to building our members’ confidence and supporting the campaign. We invite you to join us at this in-person, socially distanced demonstration through Liverpool, and help us to show the university that we will remain defiant.

Please wear a mask if you can, bring your union banners, home made placards and posters, and share this event widely with friends and colleagues.

Staff – Student Solidarity Rally UCU Chester

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Chester Town Hall – 12pm Saturday 24th July 2021

Chester University management are intending to make staff redundant at the end of July, at a time when it is extremely difficult to find secure employment in higher education. The number of staff at risk is relatively small, and their jobs could easily be saved, but management won’t budge.

The demonstration has been called to “reclaim the university” and show university management that staff and students are united in their resistance.

Chester 24 07 21 b.jpg

All UCU branches in the northwest should aim to send delegates to the demo and show our support for UCU Chester. Trains depart from Liverpool Central at 10:55am and from Manchester Piccadilli (via Crew) at 10:31am. Bring your branch banner.

Twitter Storm: please schedule your Tweets in support of the Chester branch to post at the time of the protest, 12:00-1:00pm on Saturday 24th July. Use these hashtags in your Tweets: #reclaimouruniversity #noredundancieschester, and remember to tag in the UCU Chester branch: @ChesterUcu

University of Liverpool UCU On Strike Again

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University of Liverpool UCU on strike

Wednesday 4th – Saturday 14th August 2021

UCU members at the University of Liverpool are continuing to fight against unjust compulsory redundancies. They have already had many successes: after 3 weeks of strike action and 4 weeks of marking and assessment boycott, the original 47 compulsory redundancies have been reduced to just 2 jobs. University management have refused to withdraw the final 2 redundancies, so UCU members will take further strike action for 11 days.

The strike will cover the vital confirmation and clearing period, when universities try to recruit as many new students as possible: Wednesday 4th – Saturday 14th August.

Your support and solidarity are vital to Liverpool’s success. Your messages of solidarity and generous donations to the local strike fund have given their members the confidence and determination to keep fighting and stand together, knowing they are not alone in their battle. UCU members are not the only ones watching what happens at Liverpool. Other university and college employers want to make cuts, so what happens in this dispute will affect your employers’ confidence too.

Let’s make sure the message goes out from Liverpool loud and clear: the only acceptable number of compulsory redundancies is zero.

How can you support the UCU branch at the University of Liverpool?

Twitter Storm 9:00-10:00am Wednesday 4th August (the first day of the strike)

  • Use your branch Twitter account to Tweet a message of solidarity for UCU Liverpool
  • Encourage members of your branch to participate
  • Schedule your tweets between 9:00-10:00am
  • Remember to use these tags for Liverpool UCU: #FightForHealthJobs @ULivUCU2
  • Use @LivUni if you want to tag in the university

 Solidarity Strike Rally 12:00pm Friday 6th August (online)

  • Join UCU Liverpool for a mass solidarity rally
  • Encourage members of your branch to participate
  • Register here:
  • Facebook here:
  • Speakers include UCU general secretary Jo Grady, and activists from Sheffield, Goldsmiths and others

 Campus Protest 12:00pm Monday 9th August (in person)

  • Bring your branch banner and join UCU Liverpool members for a protest on campus
  • Encourage members of your branch to participate
  • Meet at University Square (Liverpool L3 5RF) at 12:00pm
  • This will take place the day before A-Level results are announced, and will be the last chance the university has to stop the strike on Results Day

 Solidarity for UCU Liverpool