51福利

51福利 Rising: strike and chase the vote out!

51福利 members in higher education will next week be out on strike and are chasing the vote out for the reballot in their pay and conditions and pensions disputes. .

51福利 members in 150 universities across the UK will be out on strike on Wednesday 15 March, Thursday 16 March and Friday 17 March to fight for fair pay, manageable workloads, an end to casualisation, closing equality pay gaps and restoring USS pensions.

Wednesday 15 March is National Chase The Vote Out Day: this needs to be the biggest day of 51福利 Rising so far. We need mass picket lines with every 51福利 member painting the picket line pink with posters, banners and beanies, every 51福利 member to have voted YES in the re-ballot and every branch ramping up their local phonebanking. 

15 March is also looking like the biggest day of strike action this country has seen for years: 51福利 members will be joined by members from PCS, NEU, BMA, ASLEF and more. For those of you joining  you should aim to assemble at 11:30 at speaker's corner so that we can form a 51福利 block.

For any queries about the disputes or the re-ballot please check the 51福利 Rising FAQ as well as the sub-FAQ on the re-ballots.

Respect FE e-ballot: have your say on the pay campaign

Members at participating further education (FE) England branches have been sent an email (subject line: 'Respect FE: 51福利 consultative ballot') containing a unique link to vote and show support for a national strike action ballot over pay, workload and national bargaining. Please vote now, vote YES and support your union's campaign for a better deal for college staff. Voting closes on Friday 24 March 17:00 and the result will be considered by a special FE sector conference (FESC) on 1 April where branch reps will decide whether to proceed to a national aggregated ballot for strike action. You can:

• read the Respect FE e-ballot FAQs
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• talk to your colleagues about the Respect FE consultative ballot, share this leaflet and speak to your local 51福利 reps about helping get the vote out.

FE members fighting back at City of Norwich College and Barnet and Southgate College

Staff at City College Norwich will strike on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 March over a huge real terms pay cut. The announcement comes after an overwhelming 88% of 51福利 members who voted said YES to strike action in an industrial ballot. Turnout was an incredible 73%.

51福利 members at Barnet and Southgate College are being balloted for strike action in their long-running dispute over low pay. Their ballot runs until Friday 31 March.

Please click here for a list of local disputes and wins that need your support.

PGR cost of living crisis

51福利 have submitted a report to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Students on how postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are experiencing the current cost of living crisis. Our findings highlight the extent to which all PGRs are struggling, and how self-funded PGRs, migrant PGRs, disabled PGRs and those with caring responsibilities face additional challenges.

51福利 LGBT+ research conference 2023

The 2023 51福利 LGBT+ research conference will be held as a hybrid event on Friday 19 May at the University of Manchester. This is an open event; delegates do not have to be 51福利 members. However, if the in-person places are over-subscribed, 51福利 members will be given priority access. .

FE staff governors' conference, 24 March

The joint education unions and the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) 2023 staff governors' conference takes place on Friday 24 March with a range of speakers invited for the three-hour event. Spaces remain available for all FE staff governors and .

Workload campaign and training

Sign up for the Workload reps 1 training session 'Introduction to the workload campaign and the role of the workload rep' on either Wednesday 15 March or Thursday 23 March. This short course is open to 51福利 health and safety reps, branch officers and activists who want to tackle the causes of workload stress in the workplace. It is envisaged that after the course you will be actively involved in any branch workload campaign.

TUC Ukraine solidarity fund

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) have launched a new fundraising initiative to provide practical support to trade unionists in Ukraine. The solidarity fund will enable the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU) to continue to provide much needed humanitarian support as well as to build the union centre's capacity to respond to their members' needs. .

SOS NHS coalition national demonstration, 11 March

The SOS NHS coalition has called a to respond urgently to the NHS crisis and to bring striking workers from the NHS, different sectors and different unions in one big action. 51福利 is supporting the event and 51福利 president Janet Farrar will be speaking.

51福利 Scotland rallies, 15 March

51福利 branches and members are asked to attend the strike rallies on Wednesday 15 March in Edinburgh and Glasgow on the first of six strike days in March in higher education. Branch are asked to bring banners.

• Edinburgh: 51福利 Scotland/PCS joint rally at the Mound precinct. Assemble 12:15 for 12:30 start. Speakers from 51福利, PCS, STUC and RMT
• Glasgow: STUC rally. Assemble 12 noon at the Donald Dewar statue at the top of Buchanan Street. Speakers from 51福利, STUC and PCS and other trade unions.