UCU Reviews 17

Recently, I have gone through the redundancy process. I tried to seek advice from UCU to represent me in my consultation meeting. They responded that we do not have enough staff to represent you individually in your consultation meeting. Then my colleague tried to reach out to them to get the probono advise on the legal document, but their response time was very slow. I concluded that paying £28/month to the UCU, I should keep that in a separate account in Revolut or some other digital pocket monthly, and I am sure I can gather enough that during the time of crises, I can seek direct advice from a legal expert/solicitor. I don't know the exact date but during March.

An unbelievably disappointing experience. If you’re facing workplace issues, turning to this union will likely make things worse rather than better. Their representatives are unhelpful, dismissive, and at times even combative — it feels like being dragged into another dispute rather than supported through one. I regret joining and would urge anyone considering it to think very carefully before doing so.

I am incredibly disappointed with UCU’s conduct and the complete lack of support during a time-critical situation. I was told my membership had been upgraded to full membership, yet weeks later I discovered it had inexplicably been downgraded due to an internal error. Instead of helping me resolve a very urgent employment matter, the union has spent three weeks fixating on admin issues while providing no practical support at all. Despite chasing repeatedly and being ready to make any required payment immediately, I have been left in limbo, entering important meetings without the advice and representation I was promised. To make matters worse, I still haven’t received a response to my follow-up email from over a week ago. This experience has been extremely disappointing and has completely undermined my trust in the union. Support was needed urgently, yet I received nothing but silence and administrative confusion. I cannot recommend UCU based on this experience.

I want to share my experience with the UCU union to inform others who are considering becoming a member.

During a difficult period at my previous job, where I experienced bullying and discrimination, I contacted a Union representative hoping to receive support and legal advice. From day one, the service was extremely poor: the representative was often unavailable, responded late to messages, and when they did respond, the help provided was minimal and ineffective.

Later, I also involved a solicitor. Even with their support, responses were slow, and I never felt genuinely supported during the legal process.

When I asked the Union for legal advice specifically regarding my situation and my solicitor, my emails were completely ignored. In short, I paid for a service that was never provided.

Because of this, I cancelled my membership and blocked any payments. I want to be clear: I do not recommend anyone join this organization, as there is a real risk of wasting money and receiving extremely poor service.

A complete waste of money.
I would not recommend joining UCU, I would also not recommend this especially if you are an international staff. They will lose track of your membership arguing that you’re not a member anymore (whereas you are) or that you have had joined them earlier to get help from them. Too complicated, too messy, too unsupportive.

im a student in college doing a level 5 teaching course. I also teach full time. going back 5-6 months me and all my class fellows were told by representative of the ucu that our membership was free. so i spoke to a student who is also a full time teacher he explained that it is free and a representative helped fill out his form and it is free whilst we are on the course. the other representatives also in our class told us it was free.so i joined then to find i was charged at the end of the month then spoke to a representative at Bromley college and they told me they will deal with it and they will cancel my membership and did not think any think of it. I still have not received my refund.only 2 weeks i rejoined as another member told me i was mad to leave ,i must join its free, and they can help you with certain things.so i rejoined .then to find out i have been sent a letter to pay £152 for no reason. when i tried to justify what am i paying for as i was previously falsely led to believe it was free and joined .now im trying to cancel my membership i am being told to contact the membership team which as you go online and go to cancel you cannot cancel .this is very frustrating its more headache than help.im being pushed from here to there just to cancel.

I was reading mostly negative feedback and I was thinking why?

But when I need some help from UCU, I realised, there is only a good rep, this is also changing too quickly, I did not get the help, I asked for, mostly a lot of talk not much action. But it is 2* because they are good at dealing group issue not individual.

In my experience it is not worth joining, some nice people to talk to but not coming for help when you need, just email advice.

My recommendation: save your £30 £40 a month for something useful.

Interesting nobody has anything positive to say about them! This is the most impotent union ever and the monthly subscription is extortionate. My UCU rep completely forgot about an important meeting in relation to a challenge to redundancy. He advised me not to say anything. This was my second redundancy. On both occasions the UCU reps were utterly useless and not bothered one little bit. In my experience, especially in Medical Schools, UCU won't dare rock the boat and their reps are only interested in maintaining good terms with the universities to secure their own jobs. UCU are a complete waste of time.

don't get involved, all they care for is to take your monthly membership to fill their pocket, I asked for support from someone called Ana Redondo for months for an urgent matter, but Her Royal Highness never cared to email back, we had a deadline for the matter, one day before he deadline, indeed few hours she sends a form asking me to fill in what is it about so maybe in a year se does reply although she knows already what it is about, I rang the main office left a message to tell them this is happening, no one came back.

Too slow to respond, seems to be against whistleblowing, especially if it adversely effects its members. If your a straight white working class male whose centre left then forget it! They will feign to support you but stall answers to emails, allow you to go weeks without giving a response and and when they do respond just basic factual stuff that you knew anyway!! Some of the reps are absolutely clueless and don't have basic understanding of policy.

I am leaving my post after 10
years with no help from this pitiful excuse for a union. Never get back to you. UCU Utterly Completely Useless!

Despite the appalling and deteriorating working conditions of academics at UK Universities, The UCU (acronyn of Utter and Completely Useless) does not do much for its members, besides leaflets, group e-mails, days of action, writing reports stating the obvious; There are a few exceptions of course where some branches have achieved things for academic workers. Zero-hour-contracts happened under their watch, academics asked to become self-employed contractors happened under their watch. If your employed has breached employment law and its own policies UCU will tell you "what they have done is wrong" UCU might arrange a few meetings with Management..and that s it. If they fought tooth and nail for each one of their members, every single academic would want to join. On occasions, UCU rep. will tell the abused academic: "keep your head down, be patient". On occasions, UCU has been praised by Uni Vice-chancellors for their "cooperation"; Says it all.

Waste of money, zero representation.

This Union is ridiculous. Should you need to speak to anyone about an employer, you have to email and request a call back, whether it’s urgent or not. To make matters worse, they don’t call back or respond to emails for days/weeks, which is then far too late to support you. Zero guidance, zero support, zero representation. Like others have said, they seem to be in the pocket of the employer. I absolutely support unions and highly recommend being part of one, just categorically not this one. Look for an impartial Union and one that will a assign a representative should you need one that you can speak to.

This organisation are a waste of time. Do not waste your money. They have absolutely no strength. They give poor advice. In your time of need you do not want to turn to these, they will let you down.

I was not impressed with the lack of help I received in my dispute with my employer but that pales into insignificance when compared with the treatment of Professor Stock. I do not agree with everything the Stock says but I am an academic. I am also ADHD which means I am almost always on the back foot defending people and issues that others prefer to gang up on. The job of the union is to stand by its members when they come under attack - not join in with the attackers. The job of a union for academics is to ensure that they retain the right to push the boundaries of research and thought, even when others. Putting Galileo on trial for heresy in 1633 did not stop the earth revolving around the sun.
The General Secretary of UCU, Jo Grady, has adopted a partisan position on an issue that has distracted her, and consequentially the UCU, from discharging its duty to its member (professor Stock). It is a despicable failure. I hope academics will take note and save themselves some money be leaving the UCU. In my experience membership did not help but this case makes membership a matter of principle. No one should join UCU unless they are happy to silence free speech and thought in support of a fringe cause that has little to do with academia or making the world a better place.

Don't waste your money they are not there to help you. Avoid all the unions. I was a member at two places and the reps from both places are bad as each other. The ucu reps will be telling the HR and management everything you say so they have the illusion of being one step ahead. I was also told to keep quiet and not tell anyone about the racial discrimination and how my annual leave for islamic purposes was denied, i can see why. When I told them the issues it was as if they already knew and nothing was being done.They are not there for you and will make it appear that they are.