Representatives from UNISON branches based at the University of Leeds, University of York and Sheffield Hallam University joined almost a hundred activists from across the country for a lobby in Parliament about the higher education sector earlier this week.
The lobby, which took place on Tuesday lunchtime, was organised as part of UNISON’s Fund Our Future campaign, allowing higher education staff to speak directly to their MPs about the crisis facing the sector.
Issues raised by UNISON activists included job cuts, threats to courses, and the significant lack of funding being experienced in the sector.
These issues are all especially apparent in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.
UNISON research carried out earlier this year shows over a thousand members of staff have already left their jobs at universities across the region – with hundreds more at risk. This is in part due to institutions facing a combined budget shortfall of more than £150m.
UNISON University of Leeds branch secretary Angela Blackburn said: “It was great to see UNISON lobbying for higher education and leading the way on this.
“It’s so important for staff in the sector to see our union supporting us, and encouraging us to be proactive in looking for a new way to fund higher education that stops cuts and redundancies.
“The lobby was a great opportunity to speak with reps from other branches, and discuss how MPs had reacted to conversations.
“I managed to speak to Richard Burgon, the MP for Leeds East, who has agreed to raise the issue of higher education funding further, which is really encouraging.”
UNISON University of Leeds branch chair Nick Allen said: “Although it was frustrating that a number of MPs didn’t make themselves available to be lobbied, meeting other activists from across the country and seeing their strength of feeling was encouraging.
“I’d like to thank Richard Burgon MP for making time to speak to us despite his busy schedule, and committing to raising the profile of the crisis.”
UNISON national secretary for education Mike Short said: “Higher education is in a state of crisis. Universities are closing courses and making our members redundant because they simply don’t have enough money.
“UNISON members came to Westminster to meet with their MPs and send a strong message: higher education needs more funding now, and we need a new, more sustainable, funding system in the future. They asked their representatives to take this message to the Government in advance of this month’s spending review.”
Find out more about the Fund Our Future campaign
Notes to editors:
– 90 of the 166 universities across the UK are proposing job cuts that affect academic, administrative and support staff. More information is available here.
