On Tuesday 3 June, Higher Education (HE) members from the East Midlands and MPs came together in parliament to discuss the current state of the sector with a lobby.
The drop-in lobby was a part of UNISON’s Fund Our Future campaign, and it gave members the chance to talk to MPs about the ongoing crisis in HE – such as the lack of funding, job cuts, low staff pay, increased workload and other problems members deal with in their jobs.
Staff from universities in Nottingham, Lincoln, Loughborough and beyond highlighted how chronic underfunding is pushing institutions to the brink—risking job cuts, course closures, and reduced student support.
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: HE 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”
