University and Colleges Union (UCU)
Who we Are
Warwick UCU is the local branch of the University and College Union (UCU) who support staff across Higher and Further Education by campaigning and negotiating with employers over everything that affects your working life in the sector.
We are run by an elected committee who work to ensure your rights are protected and you are supported throughout your time at the University of Warwick. We have people looking out for your Health and Safety, negotiating and communicating with the university, and providing insight into the equalities issues that affect us.
We have a dedicated team of Caseworkers who are trained to help members who need support in times of difficulty.
You will never be asked about your Trade Union membership by the University, so your membership remains as confidential as you would like it to be. The more people that join us, the more power we have to negotiate better working conditions for you and your friends and co-workers.
If you would like to join us, please use this link. Membership starts from just 99p a month and averages at less than a cup of coffee a week.
What we Do
There are many benefits to joining a union:
- We offer advice and support to members employed at the University of Warwick.
- We negotiate with the University over matters that affect you.
- We provide you with a safety net in case things go wrong.
- We ensure the law is followed and fight for your safety and security.
- We ensure decisions do not adversely effect groups of people already under pressure.
We work alongside other campus unions on matters that affect all workers. Please see below for more details.
Latest News: September 2025
As we hope has been communicated via Heads of Department, thanks to tireless work from your UCU we have won the removal of the 10% serfdom clause in academic contracts, meaning that your workload cannot on paper exceed 100% of your working week. We continue to push the University for better workload modelling for both academic and professional services members of staff to ensure your mental health is taken care of.
There was an announcement that the new sector-wide pay increase of just 1.4% in the face of inflation rates well beyond this uplift. While UCU acknowledges the Higher Education sector's difficulties and period of uncertainty, we believe your hard work in keeping the sector going should be recognised. Please keep an eye out for communications from UCU about this moving forward.
Connect with Us
We have an account on BlueSkyLink opens in a new window where we post regular updates about our work and campaigns.
You can also follow the National UCU page for updates: @ucu.org.ukLink opens in a new window.
You can send us an email administrator at warwickucu dot org dot uk
Most of the departments across the University have contacts, who are your colleagues who can answer your questions and point you in the right direction if you need help. Please see a list of them hereLink opens in a new window.
Who can Join?
Every employee has the right to join a trade union and take part in its activities.
UCU is one of 3 recognised Unions at Warwick along with UNISON Link opens in a new windowand UniteLink opens in a new window. We all work together on issues that affect all staff and all attend regular meetings with senior management to act as your voice to university management. Our support is tailored to different groups of staff who we can best represent you in whatever role you occupy here at Warwick:
UCU is primarily for academics and professional services staff grades 6 and above.
UNISON represents grades 1-5 in professional services.
Unite is the union for manual and technical roles.
For further details, please visit the joint unions pageLink opens in a new window.
Unsure of who to join? You can email us and we will be able to point you in the right direction. Alternately, you can visit each Union's webpages to get a sense of our current campaigns and benefits and select a union which best suits you.
UNISONLink opens in a new window