Dear Branch Members, The Branch Executive hopes that this communication finds you all fine and well and that everyone is coping with the challenges that work and personal life are throwing at us in these strange and everchanging times. As we briefly communicated to you last week, the Branch Executive offered to work in partnership
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Update on UCU response to the virus outbreak We’ve provided a dedicated website area with advice for UCU members on the coronavirus. UCU general secretary Jo Grady wrote to members this week with an update on plans to keep the union functioning and protecting workers and the sectors we represent in this extraordinarily difficult period. Guidance on
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Scotland branch briefing update – report Thanks to all the branches who participated in our “Zoom” briefing on Thursday, 26 March. You can see what was discussed on the UCU Scotland blog: https://ucuscotland.wordpress.com/2020/03/27/scotland-branch-briefing-update-26-march/ TUC and STUC Covid-19 resources The Trades Union Congress and Scottish Trades Union Congress have each
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A UCU report says staff are working unpaid, holding down multiple jobs and struggling to pay the bills. The report says higher education staff are putting off long-term plans like starting a family and even struggling to pay day-to-day bills because of a lack of security and steady income. Over two-thirds of respondents (71%)
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Dear colleague, TPS update Since we last updated members in May, there have been developments regarding the valuation of the public sector pension schemes, including the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). You will recall that the valuation resulted in big increases in employer’s contributions but potentially corresponding improvements for career average members with no member contribution
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Dear colleague Today, I officially start as General Secretary of our union. The record breaking increase in turn out in the GS election shows renewed enthusiasm in the union’s activities. And from today, we must push on further. We have shown what we can do when we stand together. In May, staff at Lambeth College
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Recently UCU warned ministers that a £1bn funding deal for Scotland’s universities could have ‘damaging consequences’ for the sector. With funding levels not having risen in line with inflation, UCU warned that the higher education sector was facing further real terms cuts. Speaking to STV following the announcement of the funding allocations for universities for 2019/20, UCU Scotland official Mary
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UCU is still offering free membership to PhD Teaching Students for 4 years! This is a unique opportunity for you to join our Union and take advantage of all that we can offer our members. See here for our presentation. It is very quick to join. Just visit https://www.ucu.org.uk and then press the button marked
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On 31 January 2017 The Herald printed a factual article on the resolution of UCU’s dispute with the University of Stirling. You can read it here. Higher education is undergoing a period of significant change. Being a member of UCU is the first step towards tackling: Threats to research funding from Brexit An ongoing lack
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Dear colleagues Recently, the House of Lords backed an amendment to the higher education (HE) bill that says universities’ performance in the teaching excellence framework (TEF) should not be linked to the tuition fees they are allowed to charge. This is a significant blow for the government and the result of a great deal of
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