Education. It’s Ours
Higher education has long been treated as a marketplace rather than a public service. My union is launching a campaign to reclaim it.
TL;DR
- Over 30,000 jobs and 4,000 courses have been cut in higher education in the last three years.
- Staff face assaults on pensions, terms, conditions, rising workloads, and eroded pay.
- Students are incurring more debt for a devalued education.
- Decades of underfunding and a market-driven model have led to a crisis in the sector.
- The Labour government has refused to take action to stabilize the situation.
- The UCU is launching the 'Education. It’s Ours' campaign to defend education as a public good.
- Demands include immediate investment, protection of jobs and conditions, a long-term public funding model, fairer treatment for international students, and greater staff/student governance.
- The UCU is backing local disputes, organizing striking branches, and developing political and media strategies.
- The campaign aims to grow UCU membership, strengthen branches, build connections with students and the wider trade union movement, and increase political power.