UCUBAN/FE6   18 November 2016

Workload Protection in FE

The bargaining guidance, has been developed in response to the findings of the UCU survey on workloads which was conducted in February this year. Over 18,000 members participated in the survey from across the HE and FE sectors confirming the high priority members are placing on tackling workload issues. A special thank you to the 1000’s of members working in FE who took time out in their busy schedules to participate in UCU’s workload survey 2016.

The main findings of the survey were astonishing:

• staff are working an average of more than two days unpaid every week;
• workload is unmanageable and unsustainable for the majority of academic staff and lecturers;
• staff are taking on more responsibility and administration;
• student expectations have increased;
• professional and career development is suffering as a result of increasing workload pressures.

Bargaining for better workloads in the FE sector

UCU is determined to tackle the problem of increasing work intensification to improve the lives of members and urges branches to bargain locally to address the issues.

The bargaining guidance is organised around the following national strategic objectives which UCU’s Further Education Committee has set:

1. To strengthen the bargaining power of members by collecting industry and institutional data that can establish a pressing case for workload reform at both the industry and local levels;
2. To encourage local branches to marry health and safety laws to the collective bargaining process;
3. To increase the number of local collective agreements that regulate and improve the working hours and workloads of staff and which also address the problems highlighted in the UCU workload survey findings;
4. To equip members with the skills and knowledge required to successfully manage their own work plans;
5. To promote the effective enforcement and continual monitoring of collective agreements, policies and contracts that provide for rights and entitlements around working hours, leave and work allocations.

Data available to support branches

Several branches have been requesting the release of the UCU workload survey results for their institution. Results can now be downloaded on the UCU website:

https://www.ucu.org.uk/workload-survey-2016-results. Please note that the results are only accessible to members.

UCU’s bargaining and information system (BIS) contains important data on the financial state of FE institutions. The latest data is being entered into the system. Branches will be able to request a report from their regional offices in early December. The bargaining guidance contains information on what can be included in the BIS report.

Andrew Harden Head of Further Education