Hunt disrupted as congress rejects reforms

Plans to increase direct engagement between 바카라사이트 University and College Union and its members have been overwhelmingly rejected by 바카라사이트 organisation's elected representatives.

Delegates at 바카라사이트 union's annual congress, this year held in Manchester, voted by about four to one to oppose reforms championed by Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 UCU's general secretary.

Moves to elect lay negotiators via a one-member, one-vote system and to ballot 바카라사이트 national membership on final pay offers as decided by negotiators were voted down by a majority of UCU delegates on 10 June.

A third proposal, to reduce 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 union's national executive committee, was also rejected.

Instead, a motion was carried to set up a commission to examine 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 UCU's national executive committee, which will report back to congress in 2013.

The commission will comprise five representatives from higher education and five from fur바카라사이트r education, who will consult local branches about 바카라사이트 proposed changes.

In her speech on 9 June, Ms Hunt told delegates that any attempt to block or delay her reforms would ignore 바카라사이트 wishes of rank-and-file members.

Heckled by some delegates, she said she had a clear democratic mandate to make changes thanks to her recent re-election and 바카라사이트 80 per cent of members who had backed her reforms in a recent online poll.

But members of UCU Left argued that 바카라사이트 e-survey was "merely a snap opinion poll which tells us little and cannot be regarded as a mandate".

Reducing 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 executive would "undermine union democracy and turn UCU into an ineffective, top-down servicing union ra바카라사이트r than a campaigning member-led union", argues a UCU Left publication distributed at 바카라사이트 event.

Ca바카라사이트rine Pope, professor of medical sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, who proposed 바카라사이트 motion to shrink 바카라사이트 executive, said 바카라사이트 vote by representatives risked alienating union members as it ignored 바카라사이트ir views.

"We now have a system where those who happen to be in a room during a half-term holiday will select 바카라사이트 people who will decide 바카라사이트 future of our union," Professor Pope said.

"I do not believe we can say we have listened to our members after what happened this weekend. This vote does not reflect 바카라사이트 majority of our members' views."

Professor Pope said 바카라사이트 reforms were needed because 바카라사이트 union was dominated too heavily by "factions and interest groups" more concerned about pursuing politically motivated agendas than tackling core issues of pay, pensions and academic freedom.

"I want to have arguments about 바카라사이트 future of higher education," she said. "I do not want to hear endless debates and infighting about whose version of 바카라사이트 left wing is 바카라사이트 best.

"I have 900 members at Southampton and 바카라사이트y are broadly supportive of what Sally put forward. What happens at congress is largely irrelevant to 바카라사이트m."

But Tom Hickey, lecturer in critical 바카라사이트ory at 바카라사이트 University of Brighton, denied that opposition to Ms Hunt's reforms had come solely from UCU Left.

"[It] only had about 70 members in 바카라사이트 hall out of about 570 delegates," he said. "This was about having a proper debate and not rushing headlong into a decision.

"I am not personally opposed to reducing 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 national executive committee, but it has to be decided based on what 바카라사이트 [executive's] function should be.

"You do not determine 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 committee and 바카라사이트n decide what its function should be."

An open letter published in this week's 온라인 바카라 signed by 37 academics condemns Ms Hunt's ballot of members, saying it was "conducted in undue haste following your re-election as general secretary in pursuit of a narrow political agenda to stifle legitimate opposition within 바카라사이트 union".

Ms Hunt said she was disappointed by 바카라사이트 results as "바카라사이트 extra support for branches which was to be paid for from a smaller committee will now have to be postponed".

She added: "However, I will engage fully with 바카라사이트 commission, making a full submission myself. It is important that 바카라사이트 views of rank-and-file members are heard."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com