- Conference
- 2025 National Higher Education Conference
- Date
- 10 October 2024
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes the motion passed at our 2024 conference “Fund our universities properly”. We note and regret that the gloomy financial scenario outlined there is being borne out, with HEIs in all parts of the UK struggling to balance their books.
Conference believes:
• That this situation is unsustainable and we reaffirm our commitment to campaign for generous HE funding paid for from general taxation, and the continuance of a thriving HE sector.
• That HEIs should not seek to balance their books through attacks on HE staff, whether by job cuts, increasing workloads, or reductions in terms and conditions.
• That HE staff deserve decent pay rises which requires HEIs to have adequate funding to pay their staff well.
Conference instructs the SGE:
1)To organise seminars, meetings and consultations to support members and branches facing cuts and redundancies.
2)To argue and campaign against efforts by HEIs to balance their books on the backs of our members.
3)To support branches that want to resist job cuts and redundancies including by balloting for lawful industrial action, within UNISON rules, if they decide to do that.
4)To continue to campaign for adequate funding for our sector.
5)To publicly state this policy on our website.