This is a network that has grown out of the university rank-and-file dayschools that have been happening since 2024. These have been a space for university workers to come together and share resources, skills, and plans for building rank-and-file power. Together, we are building a cross-branch, cross-union, reps network in higher education.

What is the 🆘 campaign for the future of HE?

The campaign is building towards a national dispute with the Secretary of State for Education over the funding model for higher education. 

As of Summer 2026 a lot of our focus is on getting our unions moving on a national industrial strategy to save the sector. 

If you're here you likely already know we're in a fight over who determines the future of higher education.

Over 100 universities in redundancy fights, rampant outsourcing, dodgy subsidiaries and franchising, privatisation and ludicrous overseas development. More than 30,000 jobs have been lost, not including the non-renewal of fixed-term roles. 

Despite heroic efforts in our local branches across all unions, local fightbacks can't achieve wins that hold. Branches are in their third, fourth, fifth redundancy battle. 

We need a plan!

Rank and file members from UCU, Unison and Unite HE branches have been meeting at dayschools over the past two years and came up with a proposal which responds to the obstinacy of VCs as well as the insufficiency of employer-bodies such as UCEA and UUK to deal with a crisis of this scale. Our proposal is for a trade dispute with the secretary of state for education over the funding of HE; a national dispute for a properly funded sector. 

We’re trade unions, not protest groups, not lobbying firms, not media barons or clubs for aristocrats. The way we get the national settlement we need for this sector is an industrial dispute 🎳