LUCU stands in solidarity with comrades at Sheffield Hallam University!
- No to dividing staff members into fabricated categories
- No to moving staff members to a subsidiary company
- No to changes to pensions
This is an unprecedented attack on staff terms and conditions, and it will be challenged!
At the General Meeting held on Wednesday 18 February, 93.2% of members voted in favour of a re-ballot regarding our ongoing dispute. Maintaining our collective leverage is vital to moving management to a definitive, binding commitment to “no compulsory redundancies”, at least until July 2027.
We proposed to LU senior management that a joint pensions working group is established. However, we have been told that it is “unlikely” that a formal pensions joint-working group will be set up, even though there are successful models elsewhere. We will be updating members over the next few weeks.
Lancaster University will go to @togetheralliance on 28 March to demonstrate our unity against the far right!
If you are LUCU member and want to join the demo and/or help organising it, get in touch with your branch to provide you name and phone number, and we will liaise with Together Alliance.
We have called for a finance strategy reset: prioritising staff and core teaching and research at Bailrigg, improving transparency in financial governance, pausing capital spending except essential maintenance, and ensuring that resources are not diverted away from the University’s core mission.
We celebrate a successful ballot at Heriot-Watt against a 'right-sizing' exercise that would see at least 51 jobs axed. And the university is refusing to commit to preserving the valuable research time of staff. Lancaster UCU members stand with you in your dispute.
@hwucu.bsky.social
Comrades at Strathclyde UCU have overwhelmingly voted for strike action and ASOS recently. The rationale for firing staff sounds familiar - the uni claims they need to make cuts of £35 million over two years, and the Institute of Education is the most affected department. Ironic, isn't it?
Remember to vote on the National Executive Committee UCU elections. Ballot closes on 2nd of March!
Stirling UCU are balloting now as the university refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies. Sounds familiar?
Comrades at Stirling, we wish your ballot is highly successful ✊
@ucuscotland.bsky.social
Lancaster UCU sends huge solidarity to comrades at Northumbria University in their dispute. Shame on Northumbria University management for forcing you out the Teacher’s Pension Scheme; and even more shame for freezing the pay of staff members trying to stay in it! Lancaster UCU stands with you ✊
So. Much. NOOOOOOIIIIIISSSSSEEEEEE! (Because so much anger and solidarity.)
Wishing you all a joyful and music-full weekend! LUCU forever!!!
That baseball hat is SOOO stylish!!! 😎
Wishing we could host a fundraising gig every Friday! 🤩 We are incredibly grateful to Persimmon, Bopgun, and Rice for your excellent tunes, and to Jake Lange for the pics (more coming soon) ✊
If you wish to donate to our hardship fund, follow this link
www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/lan...
Many congratulations to our comrades at Morecambe College! The threat of strike action has been enough to secure a 4% pay rise, reduction of teaching hours, protected time for planning and marking, safety protections regarding workloads, and more! You are inspiring!!!
@sheffielducu.bsky.social, remain steadfast and resolute in your fight for a better tomorrow. Lancaster UCU members stand with you in your dispute.
New guide launched to help you challenge the far-right Reform UK party.
🛡️ Stand up for equality
🔍 Spot misinformation
📖 Learn more ⬇️
unsn.uk/49UkrZe
Solidarity with everyone out this week - FE deserves better.
UCU - Staff at 17 English college employers on strike from today for better pay and working conditions www.ucu.org.uk/article/1431...
Hi Deborah, sorry but we didn't get your message on time. If you are still interested in getting an interview with us, please contact us at ucu@lancaster.ac.uk
We love to see it! Solidarity to all our colleagues striking today ✊
Sheffield UCU @sheffielducu.bsky.social has been taking strike action in defence of jobs this term.
But in an alarming escalation, Sheffield management has threatened to "lock out", ie. deduct pay at 100% for each day, if members refuse to reschedule marking, beginning with the start of 2026.
🧵1/7
LUCU sends huge solidarity to comrades at St Helen’s and Knowsley and City of Liverpool college in their dispute for a New Deal for FE. This is an absolutely crucial fight in the battle for a FE system in crisis. Remain steadfast and resolute in your fight for a better tomorrow. #ANewDealForFE
One of the other lessons should be that a lot of these moves by universities are a lot more optional than they claim. Which is bad management. Redundancies are well known in the literature to cause ongoing organisation issues which last for a loooong time.
There's still *so much* to do and uncertainty remains in the long-term.
BUT...very grateful to my local union exec @lancasterucu.bsky.social and my LUCU colleagues for getting my employers to remove CR in the very near future
Onwards and Solidarity
📢📢📢Reminder to members: Emergency General Meeting today at 1pm to discuss next steps following last week's announcements
Absolutely!
This U-turn is 100% a trade union victory.
As we explain in our post ⬇️ important concerns remain, but the message still holds organised pressure and solidarity works
bsky.app/profile/ucu....
You know your union branch is in good shape if the mere *threat* of strike is sufficient to achieve your goals.
If you have to actually go on strike, you've probably already lost.
(congrats @lancasterucu.bsky.social!)
Lancaster University UCU members have beaten back compulsory redundancies.
After weeks of pressure management has agreed to halt all forced job cuts until July 2026.
This is a victory for jobs and every branch fighting cuts across the sector. We are the university.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
