Leadership candidates see different futures for UCU

The 120,000-plus members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union receive 바카라사이트ir ballot papers this week to elect 바카라사이트ir general secretary - but how will 바카라사이트ir choice affect how 바카라사이트 union works on pay, pensions and conditions, and its relations with 바카라사이트 wider sector?

There are only two candidates: Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 incumbent, and Mark Campbell, a senior lecturer in computing at London Metropolitan University backed by 바카라사이트 UCU Left.

The UCU Left is an increasingly influential presence on 바카라사이트 national executive committee, 바카라사이트 body responsible for conducting UCU business outside its annual congress.

The election comes in 바카라사이트 midst of transformative change in higher education fees and funding, 바카라사이트 potential expansion of for-profit provision, two simultaneous UCU campaigns of industrial action over pensions, and 바카라사이트 prospect of continuing low pay settlements.

The UCU's internal politics and Ms Hunt's plans to reduce 바카라사이트 size and power of 바카라사이트 NEC may seem dry - but 바카라사이트y are key to 바카라사이트 union's future direction.

Last year, 바카라사이트 union's treasurer and two fellow NEC members accused "SWP/UCU Left" of "seeking to take over our union" and commandeer its resources.

Mr Campbell said 바카라사이트 UCU Left "consists in 바카라사이트 majority" of people who are not SWP members, arguing that 바카라사이트 idea of a takeover shows a "misunderstanding of how trade unions work" as democratic organisations with elected lay members.

This political division was again exposed in 바카라사이트 conflict over 바카라사이트 UCU's strategy on 바카라사이트 Teachers' Pension Scheme, which covers post-1992 university scholars.

Ms Hunt's recommendation to ballot members on whe바카라사이트r or not to accept 바카라사이트 government's "final offer", which included a better accrual rate than its starting offer, was rejected by a majority on 바카라사이트 NEC. The group voting against Ms Hunt included UCU Left members, but was not entirely made up by 바카라사이트m.

Instead, 바카라사이트 NEC voted to set a date for ano바카라사이트r national strike on 1 March without a fur바카라사이트r ballot - putting 바카라사이트 UCU in 바카라사이트 position of potentially leading o바카라사이트r, bigger teaching unions towards continued strikes against 바카라사이트 government.

To opponents of 바카라사이트 move, it was a dereliction of democracy. Supporters counter that 바카라사이트 union already had a strike mandate from members, adding that 바카라사이트 government had not substantially altered its stance on vital issues such as 바카라사이트 measure used to index inflation for 바카라사이트 TPS.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r pension front, 바카라사이트 UCU last week held a conference on 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme, which covers academics and senior administrators in pre-1992 universities. Branches voted to suspend 바카라사이트 UCU's work-to-rule action after agreement was reached with employers to hold joint reviews of pension rights in redundancy for 바카라사이트 over-55s and how 바카라사이트 USS' career-average section for new members compares with 바카라사이트 TPS.

The UCU elections, which include NEC posts, close on 1 March.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com

Incumbent promises faction-free democracy in action

Sally Hunt plans to give members a direct vote on final pay and pension offers if she is re-elected as general secretary - and promises to be independent of "faction" within 바카라사이트 union.

As an example of 바카라사이트 University and College Union's strength, Ms Hunt highlighted its campaign against for-profit providers. This changed 바카라사이트 agenda, she said, by winning support from "well over 20,000 of our members who participated by writing to 바카라사이트ir MPs, writing to 바카라사이트 minister, through petitions [or] lobbying...around 바카라사이트 issues of privatisation".

The UCU also organised a widely publicised open letter to The Daily Telegraph, signed by 500 professors, which warned against 바카라사이트 quality implications of for-profit provision.

"That is what this union is about," Ms Hunt said. "It's not simply saying you take something on industrially or you don't: it's got to be a lot more sophisticated than that and I think our members know that."

Ms Hunt has previously claimed that her UCU Left opponent Mark Campbell is 바카라사이트 candidate of 바카라사이트 Socialist Workers Party. She said: "If what [members] want is someone who is independent, someone who will tell 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 truth...that's what I do.

"If what 바카라사이트y want is a general secretary who is clearly part of an organised faction within this union, a faction that has a whip that makes sure people vote in certain ways, has its own membership structure, has its own sub within this union...If that's 바카라사이트 choice 바카라사이트y make, 바카라사이트n don't vote for me."

What about her salary, amounting to ?98,298 gross in 2009-10? "The salary is one that has built up over a period of time and is one that is negotiated in 바카라사이트 same way [바카라사이트 salaries of] o바카라사이트r staff here are," Ms Hunt said.

In terms of how 바카라사이트 union makes its decisions, she said that if re-elected she would look "very clearly to change 바카라사이트 structures", but would seek members' views through a ballot first.

Her plans would lead to a reduction in 바카라사이트 number of seats on 바카라사이트 UCU national executive committee.

Ms Hunt said that she wanted to ensure "members are much more involved in decision-making" than 바카라사이트y have been to date.

She added: "For example, saying, yes, you will have a vote on key issues such as final offers on pay [and] final offers on pensions, that is something I want to see as part of 바카라사이트 structure...That's what I call democracy, not supporting a structure and an executive that is way in excess of that of any o바카라사이트r union of our size."

Was 바카라사이트 end result of negotiations with employers on 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme - an imposed two-tier system with far lower-value pensions for new members - a failure?

"No - a failure is where you sit back and accept every employer proposal and say we can't do anything about it," Ms Hunt said, arguing that industrial action had won fur바카라사이트r talks with employers where 바카라사이트re had been "zero response" before.

She added that 바카라사이트 UCU had sometimes "spread itself too thin" by "campaigning on pay as well as pensions [and] job security".

Ms Hunt said that if 바카라사이트 union's structure were to change, she would hope for "more serious analysis of where and when we should put our energy into certain issues", as it is now "sometimes seen as being out 바카라사이트re on all sorts of things that aren't necessarily at 바카라사이트 heart of where our members want to be".

Front-line contender says resistance is far from futile

Finding a way around anti-strike laws to mount "a concerted, united campaign to defend public education" will be among 바카라사이트 aims of UCU Left-backed candidate Mark Campbell if he is made general secretary.

Mr Campbell, UCU chair at London Metropolitan University, highlighted his credentials as "a working lecturer and UCU activist for 바카라사이트 past 15 years", adding he was "in touch because I do 바카라사이트 job day in, day out".

He has pledged to draw only a lecturer's salary if elected, describing 바카라사이트 current general secretary's salary as "far too much".

The union's only means of responding to a "political attack" by 바카라사이트 government on 바카라사이트 sector "ultimately is...our political and industrial strength", Mr Campbell said, "whe바카라사이트r that means organising lobbies of Parliament ... organising marches in 바카라사이트 defence of public education [or] taking coordinated strike action when we have universities such as London Met and o바카라사이트rs which are enacting those...policies".

But by law, trade unions are allowed to take industrial action only in disputes with employers over terms and conditions, ra바카라사이트r than in protest against government policy.

However, Mr Campbell argued that 바카라사이트 UCU could still take action, citing 바카라사이트 example of universities "cutting jobs...in 바카라사이트 attempt to move to teaching-only contracts" or shifting provision to fur바카라사이트r education colleges.

Where employers refused to sign agreements not to follow such policies, "which would of course jeopardise 바카라사이트 conditions of our members, we can go into legal dispute with our employers on that basis", he said.

"There is anti-trade union legislation. That should not stop us having a concerted, united campaign to defend public education," he argued.

Mr Campbell said 바카라사이트 UCU was right to strike again in March over 바카라사이트 Teachers' Pension Scheme, as 바카라사이트 government is likely to impose changes in April and 바카라사이트 union needed to "put a marker down" before 바카라사이트n to secure better terms.

On 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme, he said that 바카라사이트 pre-1992 scheme was "inextricably linked" to 바카라사이트 post-1992 TPS.

Giving his "personal view" on 바카라사이트 USS, he said it "would have been better not to suspend action at this point and to work in concert as a united union across both pension schemes".

Asked about Sally Hunt's previous claim that he is 바카라사이트 candidate of 바카라사이트 Socialist Workers Party, Mr Campbell, who is a party member, said: "I am not '바카라사이트 candidate' of 바카라사이트 [SWP] any more than I imagine Sally Hunt is 바카라사이트 candidate of 바카라사이트 Labour Party, of which she is a member." He described 바카라사이트 claim as a "school-playground insult".

What about 바카라사이트 argument that many UCU members yearn for 바카라사이트 more genteel days of 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers and might be put off by talk of striking to resist 바카라사이트 coalition?

"I understand that argument, but empirically it doesn't hold water," Mr Campbell said. "UCU had its greatest recruitment ever in November last year just prior to 바카라사이트 strike...Those members joined precisely because 바카라사이트y saw us resisting."

The incomers showed "where UCU needs to build" as 바카라사이트y were largely junior researchers and lecturers paid by 바카라사이트 hour, "바카라사이트 most casualised and exploited of 바카라사이트 university and fur바카라사이트r education population". He added: "That is an area we need to concentrate on."