Sophie opened with energy, calling on delegates to stop scrolling on their phones and really listen — because the Higher Education sector is in deep crisis. Thousands of jobs have already gone or are at risk. University buildings are falling apart, and staff and students alike are struggling with mental health because of unbearable workloads and lack of support.
She highlighted Dundee University’s collapse — millions in deficit, a senior management team fleeing, and hundreds of redundancies on the table. But it’s not just Dundee — the same is happening in universities across the UK, including at Sunderland.
She reminded Conference that universities are not just about education — they are economic lifelines for local communities. Dundee University is the third biggest employer in the city — one in 12 jobs depend on it. Universities generate billions for the wider economy, yet staff are subjected to pitiful 1.4% pay rises, while government lets the sector be run by market forces.
Sophie spoke personally — as the first in her family to go to university, she said education changed her life, made her bolder and kinder. But with soaring tuition fees, how can working-class kids access higher education today?
Are we going back to a system run for the rich and privileged?
She called on the union and government to recognise that higher education is central to building a fairer society and tackling big challenges like climate change and the rise of the far right. “Ignore us at your peril,” she said. HE may be a smaller service group in UNISON — but it is mighty.
She ended by urging everyone to back the motion, to listen to HE workers, and to fight for proper investment in universities. “We are here, and we’re not going anywhere.”