During a tour of the regions over recent weeks I’ve heard how conflicting government priorities impact on lecturers’ working lives: job security, workloads, professionalism and pensions were amongst issues considered most urgent to address. Members need a union that will involve and enable them, develop networks and stand up to employers and government to insist on the best working conditions. When so much government emphasis is put onto the value of education and skills it is vital that the union exposes and responds to the funding shortfalls in both HE and FE.
One immediate need is to challenge cutbacks in areas like adult education and language provision. Never before have lecturers across the sector been under so much pressure to deliver multiple outcomes and meet unrealistic targets from so little resources. It’s time for a leading and listening union that represents the needs of its members to decision makers.
It is not enough to simply provide a top-down service to individual members, we need to work together to organise and build our capacity for winning campaigns that actually improve members’ lives and the environment that we work in. I would lead this new union in a style which ensures your voice is heard and your needs are responded to. It’s an exciting time with opportunities for innovative campaigns that can win.
A message from Roger
The UCU general secretary ballot result has now been declared and Sally Hunt has been elected. The union and our members face major and difficult challenges from employers and government in almost every aspect of our working lives. The turnout was just 13.9 per cent which in itself suggests the scale of the challenge the union faces. I wish Sally Hunt very well in meeting those challenges. To meet them successfully will require a clear strategic vision and a determined articulate response which members can have confidence in and ownership of. I will seek to play my part in ensuring that is the case through my continuing role as Head of Equality and Employment Rights Finally I would like to sincerely thank the hundreds of members who sent messages of support and campaigned during the election.
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A trade unionist all his working life. An activist and a proud campaigner, Roger has consistently worked to defend human rights of workers. As the leader of the Equality and Employment Rights team in the newly formed UCU he continues to unite the movement around equality and keep employment rights at the top of the agenda.
2 comments:
Anonymous said...
I agree with the sentiments expressed here and would like to add how the UCU has decided
to discriminate against bullied members who question their judgement which will be
especially important to all ethnic minority members who have complained the most.
In June 2006 the UCU was formed by the merger of the two Unions NATFHE and AUT. Both
unions had their own legal aid scheme which were merged to create the new UCU scheme.
One of the major differences between the new and old scheme is a Draconian change to
clause 5.6 in the new UCU 2006 legal Scheme which has been mentioned on the HERE list by
the CEM where the role of TAC members was questioned in implementation of this rule.
this reads as follows: clause 5.6
"Legal services are not available to a member for the purpose of pursuing a complaint
against the union. In cases where there is a conflict of interest between you and us or
the union reasonably believes there is such a conflict, legal services will not be offered
or will be terminated as the case may be".
This change in the conflict of interest in the new scheme my including between you and
us has been used by the Unions to discriminate against members who question their legal or
professional judgement in regard to what legal services if any they have provided them.
As I questioned their judgement having on five occasions been denied support and been
provided erroneous advice to undermine my case which I won without attending the Tribunal
, I have been denied Union support. I have been informed that of the four people who
applied for legal assistance when the new UCU came into being three have been excuded
using the above clause as the TAC committeee consider there are all in conflict with the
union. The Union could have got round this clause by offering these members independent
external legal advice but have decided to exclude these members for challenging their
decision.
I think all members should consider when voting in the UCU elections to find out who
supported this clause and who was involved in drafting and supporting it in the legal
scheme. As bullying is on the increase and has not been challenged by the Union this
clause allows the legal team headed by Michael Scott another avenue to discriminate
against its members apart from hiding being the incompetence clause.
Dr. Claudius D'Silva
Division of Chemistry
School of Biology, Chemistry and Health Science
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Manchester Metropolitan University
John Dalton Building
Chester Street
Manchester
M1 5GD
4:15 PM
Anonymous said...
[Regarding the original posting that UCU needs to be taken to task..., we received the email below]
Dear sir or madam
If you'd be so kind as to identify yourself, your institution, and the
grievance it might be possible to assist. If you don't, I cant.
Best wishes
Roger Kline - RKline@UCU.ORG.UK -
4:24 PM
Anonymous said...
I have been in contact with the union at local level since 2003 regarding my case. I spoke again this Thursday morning at 11.30am to Barry Jones - Assistant General Secretary who has a flarge file of documents from when Peter Mitchell was handling the case.
I have been in constant touch with the union seeking their advice.
I would welcome your views when you have spoken to Barry Jones but I do not want my name or institution to appear in this Blog.
I can convey your views to this blog when I hear from you.
1:38 PM
Louise Michel said...
We don't think Mr. Kline will visit this blog. Perhaps you should send him an email, which you can also post here but delete your name and othr details from such posting. Time to challenge Mr. Kline. Do you mind taking it up with him?
2:19 PM
Anonymous said...
At the moment I am working with the Assistant General Secretarey and we are going to yet another meeting at the institution where I work. I don't want to seem too wimpish but it is hard going remaining in the job and tackling workplace bullying so though I think it is very important to explore the role of the unions in these matters I'm not sure what I can do re Mr Kline.
This blog is just so supportive....
Thanks so much for being there....
3:22 PM
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon said...
Don't thank us, please... what you are going through is what we are going through. Names, context, places perhaps are different, but the actions are the same - workplace bullying in academica shares many common characteristics in almost all cases.
Regarding Mr. Kline, we recommend that we need to let him know through emails, as well as others in the leadership of the union.
There is no doubt that the more of us stay silent on the pathetic role of our union, the more they will ignore workplace bullying.
We need to question the apathy of the union on this important issue. Being silent only helps them keep us out of sight.
6:39 PM
Anonymous said...
The union likes to remain out of sight and hidden. Their role with regard to workplace bullying is shameful and needs to be exposed. Ask questions of your local reps regarding action they are taking to support members who are suffering fron wpb. What might we expect them to do? What supportinve action might they take?
I would like to know what Roger Kline's position is on workplace bullying?
Growing research evidence indicates that wpb is rife within HE.
How does UCU propose to support members who are victims of bullying?
What examples are there of good practice in terms of support offered?
What legal support can members expect to have access to?
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