Duncan Moore, standing for re-election to UCU National Executive Committee, personal capacity
The Further Education Committee (FEC) of the University and College Union (UCU) met on Friday 6 February to discuss the ongoing ‘New Deal for FE’ campaign, which includes demands for 10% pay and national bargaining, and next steps.
Members in FE voted 90% for action in the disaggregated national ballot in November, exceeding the 50% turnout threshold on a national basis. Had the ballot been aggregated it would have enabled large-scale national action.
Of the 80 branches balloted, 32 passed the legal turnout threshold and 28 took action, representing 17 colleges.
These branches know they can win improved offers from their employers by taking more action, as over 70% of members in these branches responded positively to a UCU survey asking if they wanted to continue striking.
Their continuing fight can give confidence to branches which narrowly missed the 50%, that they could reballot to win better deals, and with more branches joining in the campaign it would send a stronger message to the Labour government that colleges demand funding, and binding agreements in pay and workload for our lecturers.
The motion submitted by Regine Pilling, UCU Left member and candidate for vice president of the union (who the Socialist Party is supporting) called for the remaining striking branches to be supported and to encourage branches to make donations to strike funds. The motion also argued to prepare the ground for the possibility of an aggregated ballot on national bargaining.
Winning now and preparing ground
Myself and fellow Socialist Party member Marco Tesei brought amendments adding that strikes of those branches still in dispute should be assisted to coordinate and others should be given the option of reballoting (though the FEC has refused to give a lead and proactively organise the reballoting of branches, citing ‘branch autonomy’).
Striking UCU members are asking how the campaign can be strengthened. On picket lines and in strike rallies the question being posed is: how can we build action and make it truly national? In other areas, many UCU members are despairing of a leadership that isn’t leading.
Much of the national leadership of the union has abandoned the idea of this year’s campaign achieving its goals (including many of those in the UCU Left). In their view, now the task is just to get good local deals for colleges where possible.
We disagreed and pointed out what needs to be done in order to strengthen the campaign this year and maintain a fight on the demand for binding national agreements, to keep up the pressure on Starmer’s government. Building the current campaign and engaging members can prepare the ground for a fresh ballot this year, this time aggregated so all branches can participate. Our amendments were passed.
The will of members to fight is clearly there. They just need to be given a lead!
- Duncan is standing for re-election to the National Executive Committee in a UK-elected FE seat
