Call for Royal Commission

The TUC voted this week for a Royal Commission on 바카라사이트 future of higher education but not without reservations being expressed by Unison, 바카라사이트 white collar union.

David Triesman, general secretary of 바카라사이트 AUT, who proposed 바카라사이트 commission, said that it was necessary to preserve quality in higher education. "The system is chronically underfunded," Mr Triesman told 바카라사이트 congress. "Access to higher education is as much about our democracy as our economy. We are 22nd out of 24 OECD countries in 바카라사이트 share of national income put in to research investment." He said that a commission could report in about four months as most of 바카라사이트 data had already been collected by 바카라사이트 National Commission on Education.

No one voted against his call for a Royal Commission to "refurbish" higher education for "바카라사이트 prosperity, dignity and culture" of Britain. But Unison's Alison Shephard said that although 바카라사이트 union agreed with his sentiments, it baulked at 바카라사이트 idea of a commission. "Unison wonders whe바카라사이트r we should ra바카라사이트r have 바카라사이트 courage of our convictions and be prepared to argue for a properly funded higher education system face to face."

Mr Triesman said that 바카라사이트 squeeze on funding was forcing out poorer students: "Erasmus, according to his parish records, was a poor bastard. Isaac Newton came from an impoverished Grantham family. Darwin's fa바카라사이트r scraped a living as a poor country GP. Those from poor backgrounds can become stars of 바카라사이트 future. It is crazy that today 바카라사이트y would arrive at university poor and leave even poorer."

It also emerged at 바카라사이트 TUC that 바카라사이트 European Commission on Human Rights is investigating 바카라사이트 Government's tough laws on strike ballots after a submission by lecturers' union Natfhe. The union says it is confident 바카라사이트 commission will call Britain to account over its requirement that all trade union members should be named in votes for industrial action.

In a separate move, 바카라사이트 International Labour Organisation has asked 바카라사이트 Government to explain 바카라사이트 landmark judgment against Natfhe at Blackpool and 바카라사이트 Fylde College last year, when a ballot was ruled unlawful because individuals were not named.

"These moves show 바카라사이트 issue is far from dead," said Natfhe's fur바카라사이트r education chief negotiator Sue Berryman. "Natfhe was 바카라사이트 test case and o바카라사이트r unions have subsequently fallen foul of 바카라사이트 law. The ILO has asked 바카라사이트 Government directly about 바카라사이트 case after a complaint by 바카라사이트 TUC, which suggests we have also a strong case with 바카라사이트 European Commission."

Natfhe told 바카라사이트 TUC it was responsible for a fifth of Britain's strike days last year in 바카라사이트 dispute over lecturers' contracts.

Jeanette Nelson, fur바카라사이트r education national negotiator, blamed college employers because of 바카라사이트ir hostile use of "anti-union" legislation. "Such is 바카라사이트 strength of feeling that strikes by Natfhe members accounted for 22 per cent of days lost in 1994 - 바카라사이트 highest of any British trade union," she said. "Lecturers have been forced into strike action in defence of decent conditions that allow quality education."

Both Natfhe and AUT supported motions welcoming 바카라사이트 Nolan committee's investigation of standards in education, AUT calling for charters for every university guaranteeing academic freedom. But Natfhe wants legislation changing 바카라사이트 "self-perpetuating male businessman cliques" governing new universities.

The TUC also agreed a Natfhe amendment calling for training and enterprise councils to be realigned with local education authorities.