Open University UCU branch

The University and College Union (UCU) is one of two recognised unions at the Open University (OU). The other trade union for Secretarial & Clerical staff at the OU is UNISON. We are the main trade union and professional body for academic, academic-related and professional services staff. The Open College of the Arts (OCA) does not currently recognise any trade union and seeks to operate outside the UK pay and grading framework (JNCHES). We will support members in any OCA role.

UCU is a democratic, staff-run organisation which represents over 110,000 staff in universities, colleges, prisons, adult education and training organisations across the four nations of the UK. The union also represents OU employees in Ireland.

We provide one-to-one support for issues affecting staff, from bullying to workload, and collective support for issues that affect whole teams, units and faculties, such as restructures and redundancy processes. If you need help now, see our Get help page, or check the Reps and contacts page to find a UCU contact in your area.

UCU’s strength comes from its members working together to improve our working conditions. We offer ways to get directly involved in issues that affect you at the OU. This doesn’t have to be a big commitment and there are so many different ways you can help – see our Take part page to find out how to get involved.

Research has shown that unionised workplaces – where the union negotiates with management on contractual issues – have more time off, higher pay, and better flexible working rights than non-union workplaces. Membership can also be empowering, supporting colleagues to apply their expertise and make their voice heard. 

To find out more about joining UCU, including monthly subscriptions and who can join, see our Why join? page.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for above, or are looking for our collection of tips for checking that your employment, pay and pension conditions are correct, we’ve probably put it in the A-to-Z pages.