Pre-92 and post-92 – we have to unite

Although I am employed in a post-92 institution, I talk to colleagues and friends across all parts of post-16 education. So I know that we all face many of the same pressures; workloads which make us sick, precarious contracts, and wages which are collapsing in real terms. Sometimes in our rage, post-92 members look to…

The crisis in post‑92 universities

As the only candidate for General Secretary from a post-92 institution, I bring particular knowledge of the issues facing a section of our membership that sometimes gets overlooked. It’s now becoming clear that the marketisation of Higher Education is taking a serious toll on the ex-polytechnics and other new universities. With less research income and…

What Palestine means to me

Why my solidarity with Palestinians facing genocide today is part of my Jewish heritage. Saira Weiner was interviewed by Anne Alexander “The movement which has developed in solidarity with Palestine has been really transformative. The amazing thing is that there are hundreds and hundreds, sometimes thousands of young people involved. In Liverpool I would say…

Ceasefire Now: take action for Gaza on 7th February

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in favour of the South African government's complaint against Israel further undermines those who defend the genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza. It is also a defeat for those who suggest there is some equivalence between those who fight against their oppression and the oppressors. The…

LGBT+ Solidarity & Liberation

UCU does excellent work through our LGBT+ members’ standing committee and equality committee in support of our members. In the last few years, UCU has launched a charter for LGBT+ solidarity, developed new CPD and webinar series to both educate our members and branches, and brought insights from struggles outside the union to our members.…

Further Education – Forever the Cinderella of Education?

How we can win A full manifesto for FE is on the UCU Left website For staff in FE, the daily challenges of providing education to teenagers and adults returning to education are intense. We are the lowest-funded education sector per head. We have had more than ten years of austerity that has seen pay…

UKRI, Palestine and Academic Freedom

How UK research funding moved from critical thinking to Blacklisting and McCarthyism The Israeli war on the Palestinian people has had an impact across wide areas of civil society far from the Middle East and far from the politics of the Israel-Palestine conflict. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the umbrella body for the UK’s funding…

UCU NEC, General Secretary and VP Elections

(This announcement is republished from the UCU Left website, dated 25 October 2023.) Following our Annual General Meeting, UCU Left are pleased to put forward our candidates for Vice President (FE) and for the position of General Secretary. We will also be standing a slate of candidates for the NEC elections. UCU members have been…