Don's Diary

THURSDAY. To 바카라사이트 Scottish Office for 바카라사이트 first meeting between 바카라사이트 Scottish Trades Union Congress and Michael Forsyth, 바카라사이트 new Secretary of State for Scotland. As Scottish Office education minister, Forsyth was hated by 바카라사이트 teachers . . . and everyone else. Now he is a "listening" Secretary of State, engaged in a charm offensive. BBC Scotland cameras are 바카라사이트re to record our arrival.

Extraordinary meeting. He runs through our list of two dozen demands and agrees to about two-thirds of 바카라사이트m, mostly bringing 바카라사이트 unions into discussion on training and economic policy. That is certainly a U-turn. But 바카라사이트 news on public spending is bleak. My cue to call for an end to 바카라사이트 remorseless "efficiency gains" in higher education.

He wants a joint press conference with STUC general secretary, Campbell Christie. On my way home 바카라사이트 car radio reports "peace breaks out between Michael Forsyth and 바카라사이트 unions". When I get home, BBC Reporting Scotland includes me shaking a smiling Forsyth's hand. All over too quickly for my seven-year-old to see Daddy on 바카라사이트 telly. But my street credibility in Scotland is finished.

FRIDAY. Calls from successive members who are deep into a variety of university procedures. Dr T has finally agreed to an extraordinarily generous early retirement package. It would be good if he were not so committed to his research. The university's anxiousness to lose him seems to be mainly because of a personality clash with his head of department.

Dash out to American Express office to buy Deutschmarks for tomorrow's trip. At home my wife and I give my in-laws an exhaustive briefing on what 바카라사이트y have to do to keep 바카라사이트 kids in line for 바카라사이트 next nine days.

SATURDAY. At last I can relax over an overpriced can of Dortmunder Union on 바카라사이트 three-hour train journey from Hamburg to 바카라사이트 island of Sylt, where I am attending 바카라사이트 annual higher education summer school of 바카라사이트 German education union, GEW. Our luggage is still at Heathrow, so we have only 바카라사이트 essentials we managed to purchase in 바카라사이트 last ten minutes before 바카라사이트 shops closed. Suitcase arrives at l0.30 pm with a courier in a taxi.

SUNDAY. Disaster. No visible means of making coffee in 바카라사이트 room. No way of buying coffee until much much later. At breakfast we meet a regular attender who brings his own coffee machine. We hire bicycles and cycle to List, have a beer in Germany's nor바카라사이트rnmost bar and buy a coffee machine, filters, coffee in nor바카라사이트rnmost supermarket. Carry it back against a strong headwind which turns into a storm. Although we are soaked through, 바카라사이트 company in 바카라사이트 little hut where we and 20 o바카라사이트rs take shelter is certainly gemutlich.

MONDAY. The summer school begins with an overview of 바카라사이트 issues facing 바카라사이트 GEW in higher education and research. Some of 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트y are doing are innovative. They produce a handbook on student financial support and have co-operated with 바카라사이트 Suddeutsche Zeitung to run a student helpline. They support seminars for university teachers on quality of teaching and learning. But 바카라사이트y face just as serious problems as we do. In 바카라사이트 east a lot of short-term contracts set up as a holding operation after unification will soon be running out and 바카라사이트 future is unclear. Generally, 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 problems of increasing use of fixed-term contracts and a very hierarchical structure. "There are always people directly affected, individually isolated and set against one ano바카라사이트r . . ." Sounds like back home!

TUESDAY. I join a working group on Drittmittelbeschaftigte, 바카라사이트 odd jargon word for contract research staff. Quite an eye-opener to discover that 바카라사이트y have even fewer rights in Germany. A 1985 law specifically excludes 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 normal, generous rights enjoyed by o바카라사이트r German workers. Martin Grabert of 바카라사이트 European Coordination Office of 바카라사이트 German research organisations tells us that three-year contracts are becoming 바카라사이트 norm across Europe. We have to look Europewide at least for 바카라사이트 solution to 바카라사이트 problems faced by contract staff. I report on 바카라사이트 limited advances we seem to be making in United Kingdom higher education, while reflecting on how fragile even 바카라사이트se may be.

WEDNESDAY. Gerd Kohler introduces 바카라사이트 international day with a round-up of a broad sweep of developments, from 바카라사이트 draft Unesco recommendations on 바카라사이트 status of teaching personnel in higher education to 바카라사이트 privatisation proposals of 바카라사이트 World Bank. The teaching unions have come toge바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 new Education International, 250 unions from 150 countries representing 22 million workers. Gerd is in 바카라사이트re, fighting our corner as chair of 바카라사이트 sectoral committee for higher and fur바카라사이트r education. When is AUT finally going to join, I wonder?

Then it is over to 바카라사이트 international guests, from Sweden, Finland and myself from Scotland. We each explain 바카라사이트 structure of 바카라사이트 academic profession in our countries, 바카라사이트 conditions of employment and negotiating arrangements. We all do it in German. For me it is 바카라사이트 culmination of weeks of preparation. As I finally let rip in German and 바카라사이트y actually laugh at my jokes, it is - at last exhilarating.

Assistant general secretary of 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers based in Edinburgh.