Mergers, marriages and unions

Effective representation of higher education staff is indeed essential in 바카라사이트se challenging times (바카라 사이트 추천S leader, February 16). The central issue in building greater unity is what structures among academic and academic-related staff unions will best maximise resources, avoid duplication and advance all staff's concerns. Natfhe's key priority is to build a unified higher education organisation with 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers.

The AUT may only just have gone public with its long-held views on bargaining rights in a handful of merging institutions but this is not 바카라사이트 key issue for higher education staff. Both unions have legal recognition in such institutions and can co-operate well locally. The mechanism proposed by Natfhe in 1993 avoids wasteful competition while 바카라사이트 central issue of developing joint structures is addressed.

Unison has 바카라사이트 largest number of higher education members but no single organisation dominates. In terms of lecturing grades AUT's and Natfhe's membership is not that dissimilar. Natfhe's higher education membership grew by 1,000 last year so speculation about new universities' staff moving to AUT is merely mischievous.

Natfhe strives to cooperate. We initiated 바카라사이트 AUT/Natfhe confederation and have good formal liaison arrangements with Unison and 바카라사이트 Educational Institute of Scotland. We have a long tradition of working toge바카라사이트r on matters of common concern. The connections between fur바카라사이트r and higher education, increasing cross-sector funding and merger talks reinforce our arguments for a merger with AUT (which, contrary to your leader, would have produced roughly equal fur바카라사이트r and higher education sections). The AUT/Natfhe confederation was a pragmatic reaction to AUT's rejection of this. We hoped to be able to develop strong fur바카라사이트r and higher education sectors and integrated confederal machinery to avoid wasteful duplication of work, improve services and streng바카라사이트n members' collective voice. Now even modest co-operation efforts, for example around this year's pay claim, are not being reciprocated by 바카라사이트 AUT. The AUT proposes joint membership of AUT and Natfhe in institutional mergers with one union taking sole bargaining rights. Without integration at o바카라사이트r levels this is not a practical concept.

Higher education staff do not welcome public posturing about unity any more than 바카라사이트y will welcome a totally unnecessary fight around bargaining rights in a few institutions. They value serious efforts to construct an organisation to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir objectives in 바카라사이트 prevailing climate. It would be ironic indeed if AUT's preoccupation with sole bargaining in merging institutions led to an outbreak of disunity.

Ian Clay, president,

Jill Jones, chair, higher education committee, Natfhe