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28 May 2026

UCU Congress: Pooled votes backed for next teacher strike

Union shifts tactics after last year’s ballots led to walkouts at just 17 colleges

Anviksha Patel

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FE lecturers have backed a national strike ballot strategy that could help the University and College Union stage more walkouts across England’s colleges.

Delegates at its annual congress in Harrogate voted today to pursue an aggregated ballot, which would pool votes across England rather than require each college branch to clear the legal turnout threshold separately.

The move marks a shift in strategy for the union after members rejected an aggregated ballot at a special FE conference in 2024, choosing instead to pursue local pay claims.

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