News

Our UCU Regional office have produced images that you can use as your background image in Teams meetings - click to download and use the images. 

Image 1 - It's my time for a break

Image 2 - It's my time to exercise

Image 3 - It's my time to exercise 2

UCU is fighting to protect staff and students in universities during the pandemic crisis and you can help by signing our petition calling for fair funding and online learning in higher education.

We have now published the dates of our Branch meetings for 2021, from the January 2021 meeting onwards we will start to use Microsoft Teams instead of Skype for business.  All OU UCU members are welcome to attend branch meetings. 

View meeting dates

Our AL reps committee has produced a new newsletter, you can view the newsletter here and please send any feedback to ucu@open.ac.uk. 

Our Branch Administrator, Deb, has made bunting ready for the day that we can work at the Open University campus again - it makes a good background image in Microsoft Teams meetings and you are welcome to use the file.

Download the full size image from Dropbox

Instructions for changing your background image in a Microsoft Teams meeting. 

Two of our reps have sent out a new newsletter called Helping Hands to all UCU members in Academic Services - you can view the second issue here. The first issue was sent out in April via email, see link below.

August 2020 - issue 2

April 2020 - first issue of our Helping Hands newsletter

We sent a newsletter about the new contract for Associate Lecturers to all members on the 6th August 2020 - view newsletter.

UCU is consulting members on the ‘Four Fights’ offer made by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) on behalf of higher education employers.  The consultation, which is an electronic ballot, closes at noon on 29 July.  The union negotiators, the UCU Higher Education Committee, and a majority of branch delegates who met in June have recommended voting to REJECT. 

You can read the full offer on the UCU website.

Our Executive committee have created an Open letter on the pay deductions for the Feburary and March industrial action, view letter.

UCU's survey of working conditions under Covid-19 is now live, the deadline for responses is 5pm on Friday 22 May.