OU branch UCU

22/04/2026

Earth Day: climate learning resources
Celebrated this year on Wednesday 22 April, Earth Day has been held since 1970 and is supported by labour movements. In the UK, UCU hosts a collection of free or open-access climate and ecological learning materials. These are normally updated for Climate Learning Week and the United Nations COP timetable, but are available throughout the year. For more on Earth Day and the 2026 Year of Trade Union Climate Action, you can visit the Campaign Against Climate Change website, to which UCU is affiliated.
https://www.cacctu.org.uk/earth_day

Let's reclaim Earth Day from greenwash! In 1970 the first Earth Day took place with an estimated 20 million Americans participating in rallies, marches, and teach-ins responding to toxic pollution of their air, waters and land by corporations pursuing profit in the absence of environmental regulatio...

31/03/2026

Thank you to all our members who went to the Together Alliance march at the weekend, there are photos on this page including one of our new banner: https://www.ucu.org.uk/together

The Together Alliance is made up of hundreds of civil society organisations representing over 7 million people.

30/03/2026

A statue honouring Jennie Lee, a key figure in establishing The Open University (OU), has been unveiled outside Milton Keynes railway station. Commissioned by Milton Keynes City Council and created by artist Andy Edwards, the fibreglass statue serves as a precursor to a bronze version to be installed later this year. Labour city council leader Pete Marland said: "The OU is one of the great institutions of this country and is open to absolutely everybody regardless of their background and existing qualifications. It overlaps with the principles of Milton Keynes that if you work hard, and if you do well, then you can get on in life."

John D'Arcy, Principal and Nation Director, The Open University in Ireland, attended the ceremony representing the OU. He said: "At all our degree ceremonies we speak about the immense contribution she (Jenny) has made to Higher Education in the UK. I am sure she would have a right smile at people celebrating the brilliant work she did over 60 years ago."

The statue celebrates the life of an MP who was behind the creation of the university.

25/03/2026

Press release about the new Jennie Lee statue that is being made to go outside Milton Keynes train station.

Milton Keynes City Council has unveiled an early version of the city’s new Jennie Lee statue, giving residents a first opportunity to see how the final bronze artwork will look before it’s installed later this year.

23/03/2026

OU UCU is backing the Together Alliance demonstration on 28th March. We are joined by over 100 organisations, including trade unions, campaigns, and civil society groups. Join us! https://www.togetheralliance.org.uk/getting-there

Coach travel from Milton Keynes (Free for union members) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/coach-from-milton-keynes-for-together-alliance-tickets-1984503108218

The last few years has seen the far right emboldened through violent street actions, mass mobilisations and a rise in support for far-right politics.

We recognise the legitimate anger in society, around wage stagnation, cuts to our public services, a crisis in affordable housing as well as the rise in the cost of living. The far right now, and historically, redirect this anger towards easy scapegoats and offer nothing in the way of genuine solutions. We cannot allow our strength in unity to be undermined through easy answers and racist slogans, that victimise our neighbours and fellow workers while giving a free pass to the bosses and the super-rich.

The 28th of March has the possibility to be one of the largest anti-racist demonstrations in British history, we need a show of strength and solidarity that proves that the likes of Tommy Robinson does not speak for us, and that there is an anti-racist majority in this country that rejects the scapegoating politics of the far right.

Milton Keynes Together Alliance is putting on a coach for those who wish to attend the Together against the Far Right march in London

17/03/2026

As part of Women's History Month, there is a full display of the OU shields in the OU library from 9-17 March. This includes artwork from groups and individuals across MK as well as the OU shields made by OU staff including Deb (Branch Administrator). The shields were made for White Ribbon Day on 25th November 2025 and were on display in Central Milton Keynes shopping centre,

17/03/2026

Our Branch President (Pete Wood) took our new banner to the Climate and Nature festival at the weekend, here are some photos of its first outing.

06/03/2026

Last week the branch unanimously backed a motion addressing commitments made to ‘UK Lawyers for Israel’ (UKLFI) regarding the use of the term ‘ancient Palestine’ in our learning materials (see news coverage below for further details). The motion endorsed a recent Open Letter to the Vice-Chancellor on the topic, which can be found and signed here: https://docs.google.com/document/u/3/d/e/2PACX-1vQkTPnYNKc-kpm9lLTzdw-TAcRm75o57VGziPimNEeNmGOoxH_mwixhcGvDwwMQbUmuzbfoEpnszGmT/pub

As suggested in the letter, the ‘commitments [made to the UKLFI] expose staff to harassment, set harmful precedents for further attacks on academic freedom, and make the OU complicit in the spread of disinformation and a politically motivated attempt to erase Palestine from history’.

Furthermore, as laid out in the motion, the commitments suggest a dangerous disregard for our work as academic and academic related staff whose knowledge, research and expertise lie at the core or the OU’s world-renowned model of distanced learning.

The branch now call on the OU to:
• fully, publicly and urgently retract all commitments made to UKLFI;
• issue a public defence of the historical accuracy and importance of the term "ancient Palestine";
• reaffirm the University’s commitment to its statutory duties under the HEFSA;
• commission a thorough, independent inquiry into how this incident occurred.

Open Letter to the Vice‑Chancellor of The Open University, UK: Call for Urgent Compliance Action under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 regarding “Ancient Palestine”

06/03/2026

I love this UNISON poster which is on the UNISON notice board and we have a new stock of UCU badges

03/03/2026

It's International Women's day on Sunday 8 March and our branch has just passed a motion to donate money to some other UCU branches who are in dispute.

What's the International Women's Day 2026 theme? IWD 2026 theme is Give To Gain. Join the IWD 2026 Give To Gain campaign

23/02/2026

On Tuesday 17 March 2026, there will be a mass lobby of Parliament to defend our right to protest, jointly organised by civil society organisations, including many trade unions. You can find out more information about the lobby here.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ltd is limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales Number 5215908. Registered Office (not for general correspondence): 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.