News

We have launched a Valentine’s day poetry/ditty competition – send your entry to [email protected] and there will be a Book token prize awarded to the best poem/ditty at the end of the industrial action. Entries will be judged by the branch Executive committee. 

The closing date is 5pm on 2nd March 2022.

Here's an example: 

Violets are blue,
roses are red,
the gender pay gap is messing with my head.

Academic related staff members Amy Ryall and David Conway explain we need to take collective action between the 14th February and 2nd March 2022.

If you are on a casualised contract, or have an interest UCU's work on behalf of those who are, you may be interested in attending UCU's annual meeting on 26th February, view further information.  Members can attend as branch delegates, or self-register. Priority is given to branch delegates, but self-registering delegates nearly always get a place.

We have now opened the branch hardship fund - there's guidance, FAQs and an application form on the Hardship fund page. 

We have now published videos of our strike day online rallies, day 1 was Wednesday 1st December 2021, day 2 was Thursday 2nd December and day 3 was Friday 3rd December 2021. 

Day 1: Watch the video

Day 1: Read the transcript

Day 2: Watch the video

We agree with the author about the excellence of UCU's national policy statement of principles on academic freedom, a position that the branch formally re-affirmed in 2019. That is why the email complained of included a link to this policy statement. The Open University branch of UCU does not discriminate or encourage discrimination against members.

There is a press release about the industrial action, starting on 1st December for 3 days, on the UCU website.

View press release

Some of our branch members, including one of our Vice Presidents, Kit Power, have produced a short video with three reasons to vote in the UCU ballots on the USS and Four Fights disputes. The ballot closes on 4th November at 12noon so please post your ballot papers by 2nd November 2021. 

Watch the video.

FAQs on the USS dispute: UCU - USS FAQs

Our AL reps commitee newsletter group have produced a new issue of our AL newsletter, read the newsletter here. 

We are running a short survey on 2021J AL recruitment, please complete the survey here. 

UCU has confirmed that strike ballots will open at UK universities on Monday 18 October 2021 in rows over USS pensions and pay, unsafe workloads, casualisation and equality failings.

View the UCU Press release.