The UCU works together with sister unions including the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and UNISON, to lobby Government and other bodies on education and employment issues.   UCU campaigns on a whole host of issues including fighting the privatisation of education, stamping out the increasing use of casual contracts and adds its collective weight to individual campaigns such as forced redundancies, victimisation and sexual and racial harassment cases. As an affiliate to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) the UCU sends delegates to the annual congress to represent the collective views of the members.

As well as offering support and guidance on general work related issues, Union Reps and Caseworkers are here to help individual members who may have a problem in the workplace.  Members can request someone to sit in on meetings with management if they feel they need the support or may benefit from the experience of a representative.   The UCU can also offer support to members in other areas including wills, lasting power of attorney, renunciation of executorship, probate, severance of joint tenancy, buying a newly built home, conveyancing, re-mortgaging and financial mis-selling claims such as payment protection insurance (PPI).

We are a democratic organisation so in order to ensure that we are speaking on behalf of all we need members to participate in the decision-making process.  Every month we usually hold branch meetings at City and Collegiate Campuses.  Recently these branch meetings have been taking place online with invitations sent to members’ SHU mailboxes.  We look forward very much to seeing you there and hearing what you have to say. 

If you have a particular issue that you would like to discuss at a branch meeting or to raise with the Committee please drop us a line.   We can make sure you have time allocated to speak to other members during branch meetings. 

If you are not a member already, consider joining us.  Together our collective voice can be a real force for change.  The pressures the HE sector is facing and the increasingly precarious nature of working conditions make it even more important to join colleagues to fight for fairness, equality and transparency at work.  Join UCU today.

Would you like to get more involved than simply attending meetings? How about representing the members in your Faculty? Perhaps one of the Committee roles appeals to you?  You can find out about the process and current Committee vacancies, and more information on how to become a Rep on this website.