#OurUCU

Published: 4th June, 2018

The following collective text was agreed by somewhere between 100 and 150 delegates (and a few observers) who remained after the attempt by the chair to close down UCU Congress. It is worth stressing that this was a diverse collection of union colleagues without any shared factional affiliation. The two Leicester UCU delegates’ report is here.

#OurUCU

We UCU elected delegates voted repeatedly in line with the advice of our Congress Business Committee to hear motions criticising the General Secretary which were in order. Unfortunately the General Secretary and a narrow majority of the National Executive Committee refused to accept the right of Congress to debate these motions. We believe the union members have the right to hold our most senior elected officials to account. This is a basic democratic right in all trade union and representative systems (e.g., Parliament). We disagree with the walkouts and reject the notion that the motions include a threat to undermine staff terms and conditions. There is no issue with the conduct and performance of our wonderful and hardworking UCU staff members. To turn a debate about our democratic process as a union into a procedural employment dispute is to evacuate our capacity to act as a political body. We resolve to continue to conduct the campaigns and defence of our members over pay and pensions that we all agree on and also to urge a debate in all branches and union bodies to discuss democracy in our union. We also resolve to continue the motions at a recall conference and not be distracted from the campaign to defend our members’ jobs, pay and pensions.

Signatories:

Peta Bulmer, University of Liverpool
David Swanson, University of Manchester
Dan Hunter, Guernsey College of Further Education
Paul Prior, University College London
James Brackley, University of Birmingham
Clelia Boscolo, University of Birmingham
Bob Jeffrey, Sheffield Hallam University and Yorkshire & Humbersice Regional Committee
Bruce Baker, Newcastle University
David Harvie, University of Leicester
Gareth Brown, University of Leicester
Joel Anderson, Central School of Speech and Drama
Dharminder Chuhan, Sandwell College of FHE
Andy Fugard, Birkbeck
Maciej Bancarzewski, University of Hertfordshire
Sorcha Ní Chonnachtaigh, Keele University
Lesley Kane, Open University
Sarah Kean-Price, Bath College
Tor Krever, University of Warwick
Chris McLachlan, University of Hertfordshire
Steve Roskams, University of York
Hannah Cross, University of Westminster
Michael Starrs, Epping Forest College
Paul Anderson, Queen Mary University of London
Mike Finn, University of Exeter
João Florêncio, University of Exeter
Rhian Keyse, University of Exeter
Sonja Curtis, University College London
Ben Plumpton, University of Leeds
Malcolm Povey, University of Leeds
Roddy Slorach, Imperial College London
Sean Vernell, City and Islington College
Linda Cronin, University of Roehampton
Annie Jones, Sheffield Hallam University
Gwen Vickers, Anti Casualisation Committee
Tony Brown, University College London
Dave Hyde, University of East London
Pauline Hall, Southeast Region & West Kent and Ashford College
Matthew Pritchard, Chesterfield College
Peter Heath, Heart of Worcestershire College
Cecily Blyther, Petroc
John Walker, Southern Region Retired Members Branch
Karen Evans, University of Liverpool
Lesley McGorrigan, University of Leeds
Tim Hall, Senate House
Anna Duncan, University of Oxford
Mark Farwell, Southampton Solent University
Jaya John, University of Oxford
Simon Courtenage, University of Westminster
Jan Koene, Sutton College
Simon Smith, Coventry University
Pura Ariza, Manchester Metropolitan University
Isabelle Rahman, United Colleges Group (College of North West London)
Keir Mobbs, University of Bath
Mesar Hameed, University of Bath
Richard McEwan, London Regional Committee
Tassia Kobylin, Goldsmiths University of London
Tom Hickey, University of Brighton
John Carter, Teesside University
Glyn Heath, University of Salford
Chris Sheahy, University of Salford
Kevin Bean, University of Liverpool
Dianabasi Nkantah, University of Coventry
Sean O’Brien, Halesowen College
Railene Barker, Nottingham College
Elaine White, Bradford College
Crispin Farbrother, Bournemouth University
Sai Englert, SOAS, University of London
Maciej Bancarzewski, University of Hertfordshire
Steve Lui, University of Huddersfield
Eleni Michalopoulou, University of Liverpool
Saleem Rashid, Sheffield College
Margot Hill, Croydon College
Joel Anderson, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Mark Baxendale, Queen Mary University of London
Linda Moore, Ulster University
Nicholas Cartwright, University of Northampton
Brian Garvey, University of Strathclyde
Brian Hambidge, East Midlands Retired Members Branch
Anthony Johnson, Croydon College
Alison Forsyth, East Kent Colleges Group (Canterbury College)
Owen Mather, Runshaw College
Victoria Paine, West Kent and Ashford College
Nita Sanghera, South & City College Birmingham (Bournville College)
Rhiannon Lockley, Halesowen College
David Muritu, Sandwell College of FHE
Bernadette Driscoll, London Regional Committee
Charlotte Stevens, Birmingham City University
Ron Mendel, East Midlands Regional Committee
Marian Carty, Goldsmiths University of London
Sunil Banga, Lancaster University
Marian Mayer, Southern Regional Committee
Judith Suissa, UCL Institute of Education
Tony Brown, University College London
Nalini Vittal, University College London
Sherrie Green, University of Essex
Timothy Goodall, University of Leeds
Stefan Kesting, University of Leeds
Craig Gent, University of Warwick
Maria Chondrogianni, University of Westminster
Julie Hearn, Lancaster University
Sean Wallis, University College London
Carlo Morelli, University of Dundee
Vicky Blake, University of Leeds
Paul Anderson, Incoming National Executive Committee
Fiona Bailey, Capital City College Group (Westminster Kingsway College)
Mustafa Turus, Capital City College Group (City and Islington College)
David Tandy, Lambeth College
Mike Barton, New City College Group (Redbridge College)
Safia Flissi, South & City College Birmingham
Elaine Heffernan, New City College Group (Hackney Community College)
Darren Tolliday, Warrington and Vale Royal College
Julia Roberts, Lambeth College
Mandy Brown, Lambeth College
Ian Crosson, London Regional Committee
Brian Hawkins, Canterbury Christ Church University
Martin Morgan-Taylor, De Montfort University
Cristian Serdean, De Montfort University
Randal Jack, JISC
Constantina Papoulias, Kings College London
Deej Fabyc, London Metropolitan University
Chris Keast, Nottingham Trent University
Tristan Sturm, Queen’s University Belfast
Cyprian Njue, University of Brighton
Chris McLachlan, University of Hertfordshire
Michael Spakowski, Writtle University College
Rachel Cohen, City University of London
Marion Hersh, University of Glasgow
Mark Abel, Incoming National Executive Committee
Ionna Ionnou, Incoming National Executive Committee
Russell Caplan, London Regional Committee
Carol Cody, City of Liverpool College