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.

Tuesday, 16 January 2007

Monday 15th January

Mind boggling foolishness on ESOL

Up with the larks – or before them – to do an interview on the Today programme about the campaign launch of the ESOL campaign arranged over the weekend.

Phoned at 05.42 to be told item pushed off the bulletin. Rats. Story running on Radio Five Live though.

Excellent afternoon meeting at UCU to formally launch the campaign, with large range of organisations and many individuals present – including some who had travelled a long way. General sense of outrage and determination that something has to be done.

The issues

1. It is difficult to know where to start with what’s happened to ESOL. Government policy can be summarised something like this.

2. Government finally comes up with a good policy.

3. Decides to invest in migrant workers needed for economy by substantially expanding provision of English teaching.

4. Makes provision free.

5. Gets Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson to praise as key to social cohesion.

6. Clap as policy a roaring success with long waiting lists to join courses.

7. Panic as costs go beyond budget

8. Without any proper consultation decide best way to stop costs growing is to change access rules and stop most people getting free access

9. Ignore argument that ESOL costs are an investment which will pay for themselves many times over in the future.

10. Make sure this is done just after Jack Straw and Tony Blair have given speeches lecturing migrant communities about the need to integrate.

11. Make sure asylum seekers are singled out for exclusion from courses. Kick them in the teeth again.

12. Make sure rules for free access if on tax credits are of the catch 22 variety – you can only claim after you’ve completed a 20 page form…..in English!

13. Express surprise at outrage from lecturers, charities, college principals, community groups and over a hundreds MPs.

14. Refuse to put proposals on hold and have a rethink. Instead send long letters justifying policy.

What a shamble

If you’re not involved in the campaign yet, do so. This is not just an FE or adult education campaign. It is one that every UCU member can support even if just by writing to their local paper and lobbying their MP.

Check the UCU website for more details
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Old Blogs

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.