Disaster in Haiti: how you can help

The TUC has set up a fund for the victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. UCU has already sent a donation to £1000 and we will be calling on branches and members to do the same. You can donate either by paying online or by sending a cheque. You can find full details of how to do this here: (http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-17424-f0.cfm). There will also be a fundraising concert with Billy Bragg, Cuban band Son Mas featuring Omar Puente plus very special guests, on Wednesday 3 February, 7pm – late, at Congress House. See www.concertforhaiti.co.uk for further details.

Mandelson says universities will benefit from cuts while UCU warns that record numbers of students will miss out

In a quite incredible exchange in the House of Lords yesterday, Lord Mandelson said that massive university cuts might be a blessing in disguise. UCU immediately hit back and warned that the cuts could be not made without consequence and questioned Mandelson’s understanding of higher education. You can read Lord Mandelson’s comments and our reply here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4393. The story was picked up in the Times here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6997682.ece. UCU also told the government yesterday that unless it is prepared to properly back its ambitious longstanding plans to increase university participation then thousands of qualified students would miss out on a place at university. Despite record numbers of students, there was actually a decrease in the percentage of applicants being accepted into higher education in 2009. You can read more here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4391. The story was featured in the Telegraph here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7045020/Warning-over-university-admissions-crisis.html. Sally Hunt also contributed to the influential Left Foot Forward blog on this issue: http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/01/university-numbers-up-but-percentage-of-successful-applicants-down/

UCU Lobby of Parliament: Defend Jobs, Defend Education

On Tuesday 26  January UCU will be holding a lobby of Parliament to let MPs know what is happening in further and higher education and to make sure the voices of UCU members are heard in the ‘corridors of power’ in the run up to the general election.  Between 2.30pm and 4.30pm on 26 January, there will be speeches from MPs, trade unionists and educators in committee room 19. Although the speeches will continue for two hours, members should do their best to meet their MPs whenever possible. MPs are very busy and their diaries often fill up weeks in advance. Although the House authorities will do everything they can to find your MP, it may not be possible. It is always best to book in advance. A briefing on lobbying your MP can be found here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/3/7/ucu_lobbybriefing.pdf

**WHAT YOU CAN DO**: You can email your MP asking to meet them on the day by visiting www.writetothem.com – or write to your MP at the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA or call your MP’s House of Commons office via the switchboard on 020 7219 3000. It is important for UCU to let the House of Commons authorities know how many people will be attending. If you are planning on attending the lobby, please email Lisa Johnson at LJohnson@ucu.org.uk. You can see the letter sent to Branch and LA Secretaries and Presidents about the lobby here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/docs/9/q/26janlobbyletter_15jan10.rtf

**UCU to launch manifesto in Parliament**: The union will also use the lobby to launch its education manifesto. The union’s vision of education is founded on a fundamental belief in the value and power of education. The manifesto sets out the context in which it has been prepared – against a backdrop of cuts across public services, with education bearing the brunt of them. You can read the manifesto in full here: www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/k/c/Manifesto.pdf. Read more on this story here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4396 and here: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6033948.

**UCU Lobby of the Scottish Parliament***:

As part of the national action on Defend jobs Defend education, UCU Scotland is organising a lobby at the Scottish Parliament. The lobby will urge MSPs to campaign against cuts particularly in the teacher education budget. The lobby is outside Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 27 January at 1.00pm. It is followed by rally at Moray House School of Education chaired by UCU Scotland Vice-President Gordon Watson and speakers including UCU Scottish Official Mary Senior.

**Unable to attend the lobbies?**:

You can still write to your MP letting them know about the cuts that are  currently happening across the sector. You can find a template letter to download, fill in your details and put in the post here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/lobbyjan10

Leeds UCU sees membership surge as campaign escalates

University of Leeds UCU now looks set to become the union’s largest single unit with over 100 new members joining since October as the magnificent campaign against redundancies continues to build unprecedented support amongst staff and students. The Leeds UCU Facebook page also saw a significant boost in its membership over the last week and now stands at over 1300 members (1 student in 30 across campus). With talks at ACAS now at a critical stage UCU reps have been knocking on doors and walking miles of corridors  in order to talk to each and every member about why they should vote ‘YES’ in the ballot for action. You can read more here: http://leedsucu.wordpress.com/

UCU slams 300 job cuts at under fire Manchester College

UCU has accused Manchester College of throwing the prison education sector into havoc after it announced plans to axe 300 jobs. Manchester College is the biggest prison education provider in the country, running courses in over 96 institutions, yet 250 jobs will go from its offender learning teams. The news comes just a month after the college singled out its prison education staff for a pay freeze and is the latest in an embarrassing list of stories of shoddy management and poor conditions for staff employed by Manchester College. Read more here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4394. The story was picked up by the Manchester Evening News here: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1189997_manchester_college_to_axe_300_workers

REF campaign: Calling all scientists! - Science and Technology Committee calls inquiry on funding and 'impact'

Following intensive UCU lobbying, the Science and Technology Select Committee has announced an inquiry into science funding and ‘impact’. The Committee is interested in "what evidence there is on the feasibility or effectiveness of estimating the economic impact of research, both from a historical perspective (for QR funding) and looking to the future (for Research Council grants)". If you are a researcher in the sciences, this is your chance to speak directly to the politicians by making an individual or group submission. The deadline is next Wednesday, 27^th January. For details on how to send a submission, click here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/standupforresearch

UCU welcomes legal decision for full hearing in Stirling University job cuts case

UCU welcomed an employment tribunal’s decision this week, to reject Stirling University’s attempts to force a preliminary hearing in its case with UCU over job cuts. Supporting the union’s argument that the legal issues are clear, the employment tribunal judge agreed to move to a full hearing. UCU claims that the university had failed to consult properly with trade unions on job losses and is seeking compensation for the staff affected.  You can read more here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4380&from=1676

Protests at University of Gloucestershire over job cull row
Staff and students at the University of Gloucestershire joined forces for a special lobby against job cuts this week. The protests were  timed to coincide with the arrival of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) who were on campus to meet with university officials.UCU has blamed poor management for the decision by the university to close campuses in Cheltenham and London and to cut up to 16 jobs at its Francis Close Hall site. Click here for more: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4389. The story was picked up by the BBC here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/8473680.stm

Tory teaching plans show incredible disregard for demands of the job says UCU

UCU said on Monday that the Tories’ 'brazenly elitist' policy of recruiting graduates into teaching showed absolutely no understanding of the real demands of the teaching sector or the skills required to do the job. Under the Tories’ plans, graduates with a third class degree would not be funded to train as a teacher. The news was an embarrassing revelation for the Tories’ maths tsar, Carol Vorderman, who has a third. Read more here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4379, or here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/david-cameron/7019357/David-Cameron-targets-coasting-schools-in-leafy-suburbs.html

Global solidarity to defend education: read the latest on cuts around the world at the Education Solidarity Network

Cuts and the threat of privatisation loom large in the latest postings from education unions around the world  on the Education Solidarity Network blogsite, used by 15 education unions worldwide. You can read the latest here, including UCU’s account of the current crisis here, a call by 23 unions for a change of direction following student protests in Germany and Austria and an appeal for help from the Latvian higher education union. Click here for all the latest from around the world: http://educationsolidaritynetwork.org/

Latest Equality News

The January edition of Equality News is now available here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/eqnews