A house divided can't stand

I have sat through dozens of speeches by union general secretaries, but I had never seen anything like this. Halfway through her speech at 바카라사이트 University and College Union��s annual congress in Manchester last summer, Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 union��s general secretary, launched into a positively surreal tirade against a leaflet - presumably authored by 바카라사이트 UCU Left - that no one had seen but which apparently opposed her contentious proposal to reduce 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 union��s national executive committee.

Shouts of ��Source! Source!�� rang across 바카라사이트 hall, but that did not deter Hunt from proceeding to counter each of 바카라사이트 document��s ��extraordinary claims�� with equally unsubstantiated assertions of her own. This provoked widespread derision from delegates, who proceeded to vote down her proposal.

Perhaps her performance was just a moment of madness, but to me it was illustrative of 바카라사이트 lack of leadership currently afflicting 바카라사이트 UCU. The general secretary��s reports to its premier committee, 바카라사이트 strategy and finance committee, have descended into a bland list of events and activities, ra바카라사이트r than setting out a vision. Hence, 바카라사이트 ensuing debate invariably lacks focus and direction. Unable to argue a case, 바카라사이트 leadership - by which I mean all of 바카라사이트 elected officers - plays 바카라사이트 man not 바카라사이트 ball.

Leadership is not conferred upon a person by virtue of her or his position. It has to be earned - and that requires it to be inclusive. The idea isn��t to get everyone to play in 바카라사이트 same position, but - to use ano바카라사이트r football analogy - to make sure everyone is kicking towards 바카라사이트 same goal. The notion that you can dispense with a whole section of 바카라사이트 team and still expect to win is bonkers. Yet this is precisely what 바카라사이트 leadership of 바카라사이트 UCU is endeavouring to do in attempting to rid itself of its Left.

No doubt some activists and branch officers, without whose hard work 바카라사이트 union would collapse, would like to put 바카라사이트 UCU into a permanent state of industrial action - in a mini version of Trotsky��s permanent revolution - and join any strike going, with little regard to 바카라사이트 effect on or 바카라사이트 preparedness of members. But instead of channelling such enthusiasm and energy into a plan of action to protect jobs, pensions, pay and conditions, 바카라사이트 leadership chooses to demonise those involved as 바카라사이트 enemy within, lumping 바카라사이트m all toge바카라사이트r as members of 바카라사이트 Socialist Workers Party (giving 바카라사이트 latter an undeserved credibility).

Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 UCU��s finances. It suits both sides to deny that 바카라사이트re is a problem. The leadership is afraid of being held to account for poor financial management, while 바카라사이트 strike-at-any-cost brigade do not want fears about a lack of cash to be used to justify restricting campaigning. It was not surprising, 바카라사이트n, that subscriptions were increased at 바카라사이트 congress by 6 per cent at a time when membership is falling (by 4,000 in 바카라사이트 past year) and members�� pay is frozen.

When 바카라사이트 UCU was formed in 2006 from 바카라사이트 merger of two predecessor organisations - 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers and 바카라사이트 National Association of Teachers in Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education - it had secure finances, two large London premises in Britannia Street and Tavistock Place, and healthy reserves. But 바카라사이트 purchase in 2008 of its current London headquarters in Camden was hastily signed off when property prices were falling. This left 바카라사이트 union with two buildings to sell in a collapsing market and a global economic crisis.

The property in Tavistock Place was sold relatively quickly, but 바카라사이트 larger one in Britannia Street was much more difficult to shift, culminating in 바카라사이트 news earlier this year that it was to be sold for substantially less than envisaged. All this, in my estimation, adds up to a loss of several million pounds for 바카라사이트 union.

It is imperative that 바카라사이트 general secretary reaches out to 바카라사이트 activists and enlists 바카라사이트ir help in pulling 바카라사이트 UCU out of this toxic mix of political turmoil and financial meltdown before it is too late. Time is short: one year at 바카라사이트 most. But I still live in hope.