twitter facebook

News Archives

Letter to BBC Radio Leicester concerning racist abusive of journalist

Published: 18th May, 2020

Last week it was reported that BBC journalist Sima Kotecha was racially abused whilst preparing to broadcast from Leicester city centre. With our sister UCU branch at DMU we have written to BBC Radio Leicester expressing our shock and our solidarity. Dear BBC Radio Leicester, The De Montfort University and University of Leicester branches of the…

Read more


What did you do during the COVID-19 crisis? On casualised workers, work and the pandemic

Published: 21st April, 2020

In a year’s time, in two years, in five years, people will look back and ask of individuals and institutions: ‘what did you do during the COVID-19 crisis?’ The answers will shape behaviour, influencing decisions on where to shop and work – and study. The University of Leicester – like every other university, like every…

Read more


Kind of Blue Monday

Published: 6th April, 2020

Letter all Leicester UCU members, Monday 6 April. As the University leadership team continues to develop and roll out its COVID-19 response, Leicester UCU continues to respond to members’ concerns. 1. Two Fridays ago (March 27) we reported on negotiations with senior managers regarding our suggestion that, in light of enormous goodwill University of Leicester…

Read more


On Panopto, strike deductions, detriment – and other negotiations

Published: 30th March, 2020

Email sent to all Leicester UCU members, 30 March Phew! What a fortnight! And what more is to come? We don’t know whether the glimmers we see are sunlight at the end of the tunnel or the headlights of an oncoming train! Simply keeping up with the daily set of cascading emails has been a…

Read more


COVID-19 – open letter to all Leicester UCU members

Published: 27th March, 2020

It’s hard to believe how much the world has changed since we returned from the picket lines a couple of weeks ago. Whilst we knew the threat from COVID-19 was serious, hence our revised activities and guidance on our final strike day, most of us did not anticipated a lockdown situation within such a short…

Read more


International staff and coronavirus

Published: 17th March, 2020

UCU has developed a webpage giving some guidance/information for international staff — in particular, those who do not already hold ‘indefinite leave to remain’ (or some equivalent stable status).  Given the recent history of difficulties faced by people in this category, you might find it useful. UCU also has more general guidance for all members…

Read more


Handmade Degrees…

Published: 9th March, 2020

This teach-out is tomorrow – Tuesday

Read more


Greater participation = quicker resolution!

Published: 6th March, 2020

                                    We need you – and you are so welcome! Dear Colleagues! We know you can hear us. And we know that you see us every day, too. Just like we see you going to work. All this despite our shared concerns about the strike, the future of our sector, and the care that our…

Read more


Strikes 2020: Day 9… a new banner

Published: 5th March, 2020

There was much excitement this morning, as we unwrapped our brand new banner – designed by textile artist Cath Long after an ideas workshop she ran with us on December 13. It is an object of great beauty, it includes images of now-iconic features of our picket lines – the purple trombone, for example –…

Read more


From Leicester UCU to UC… solidarity!

Published: 4th March, 2020

Struggles for fair pay, fair treatment at work, and fair pensions have no borders. In the U.K., we confront the dreadful impact of the hostile environment as well as the consequences of marketisation of our education sector. In France, teachers, as well as workers from many other sectors, went on a strike and took to…

Read more