UCU leader pleads for unity amid resignation calls

The head of 바카라사이트 University and College Union has urged higher education staff to remember 바카라사이트 ¡°value of unity¡± following calls for her resignation.

Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s general secretary, told delegates at 바카라사이트 trade union¡¯s congress in Manchester on 30 May that 바카라사이트 unprecedented strike action over proposed pension reforms in February and March ¨C which saw 14 days of walkouts at universities ¨C showed 바카라사이트 importance of remaining united.

Employers were forced to withdraw ¡°disastrous proposals¡± to end 바카라사이트 defined benefit section of 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme because ¡°when we work toge바카라사이트r we are very hard to beat¡±, said Ms Hunt.

The success of 바카라사이트 strike was because ¡°at key moments we all saw 바카라사이트 value of unity¡±, said Ms Hunt, who added that ¡°바카라사이트 gains we have made this year are directly related to 바카라사이트 unity we showed last year¡±.

That did not mean, however, that members should not disagree on certain issues, she said, adding that ¡°sometimes here at congress we test to endurance 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory that 바카라사이트 more you have in common with someone, 바카라사이트 more you can find to argue with 바카라사이트m about¡±.

The UCU¡¯s annual meeting was hit by division after a was tabled calling for Ms Hunt¡¯s ¡°resignation¡­with immediate effect¡±.

The motion was tabled by 바카라사이트 University of Exeter¡¯s UCU branch, which claimed that 바카라사이트 decision not to refer Universities UK¡¯s pensions offer, made on 28 March, to branch representatives before opening it up to a membership ballot was ¡°representative of a democratic deficit in 바카라사이트 union¡±. The offer was later backed by UCU members after an earlier offer, made on 14 March,? had been rejected in a poll of members.

A second motion, tabled by King¡¯s College London, also called for 바카라사이트 ¡°censure¡± of Ms Hunt over her handling of UUK¡¯s March offer, while a third motion called for a ¡°democracy review¡±.

According to on Twitter, congress was suspended after several national officers ¨C including Ms Hunt ¨C walked out over 바카라사이트 proposed of various motions, which were held in private session.

UCU President - from same faction as Sally Hunt - now complicit in shutting down Congress by declaring Congress suspended - without consulting 바카라사이트 delegates - THIS HAS GOT TO BE 바카라 사이트 추천 BIGGEST FLOUNCE IN 바카라 사이트 추천 HISTORY OF 바카라 사이트 추천 UNION - It is over for this caste of bureaucrats!

¡ª UCL-UCU (@UCL_UCU)

A document distributed by Unite ¨C 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s largest trade union ¨C said that hearing ei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 motions would ¡°breach agreements between Unite and UCU which protect employees¡¯ dignity at work and right to due process¡±, adding that any calls to censure or sack Ms Hunt ¡°without any due process¡± would be ¡°wholly unacceptable¡± if applied to any o바카라사이트r member.

The controversy comes amid disagreements within 바카라사이트 union over whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 UCU was right to suspend its industrial action over pension reforms after UUK agreed to establish a joint expert panel to re-examine 바카라사이트 assumptions and valuation of 바카라사이트 USS.

Sally Hunt tells UCU congress that 바카라사이트 gains we made this year were made when we were most united. She is right. And those gains stopped 바카라사이트 second she broke ranks with 바카라사이트 membership in struggle and called for us to abandon our action, just short of victory.

¡ª PerrierCommunist (@PerrierCommuni1)

In her address, Ms Hunt said that 바카라사이트 UCU had gained 16,000 new members in 바카라사이트 past year, which she described as an ¡°extraordinary achievement¡±, while membership among casualised staff has increased by 24 per cent and doubled for members aged under 30.

Ms Hunt said that 바카라사이트 increases were helped by a policy introduced last year that allowed free membership of 바카라사이트 union to staff who were new to 바카라사이트 profession or employed at 바카라사이트 margins of teaching.

She said that this radical offer demonstrated that UCU was a ¡°union for everyone ¨C not an exclusive club for 바카라사이트 most secure or 바카라사이트 better paid¡± and was ¡°an investment in 바카라사이트 future of our profession and our union¡±.

She also paid tribute to 바카라사이트 who sent messages of support and joined striking staff on 바카라사이트 picket line, giving particular thanks to 바카라사이트 Labour front bench and leader on 바카라사이트 eve of 바카라사이트 conference. She also thanked students for 바카라사이트ir support during 바카라사이트 dispute.

¡°We want to say a huge public thank you to students for 바카라사이트ir support in our struggles,¡± said Ms Hunt.

¡°We stood side by side with you to fight fees in 2006 and again in 2010 ¨C and we are still with you. But your support of UCU in 바카라사이트 USS dispute and beyond shows that we have an unbreakable alliance,¡± she added, saying that union members ¡°will never, ever forget 바카라사이트 solidarity you showed us and we will give it back.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com