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, 9 January 2007

Saturday December 30th 2006

Anti-semitism and UCU

“What is UCU going to do about anti-semitism on campus? Doesn’t UCU hostility to Israel make things worse?”

UCU is utterly opposed to anti-semitism. I can speak from personal experience of being subjected to it, but I have no doubt whatsoever where UCU stands on this issue.

If you have any doubts, you can read the excellent NATFHE publication, the Submission to the All-Parliamentary Group Inquiry into Anti-Semitism and take note of the numerous branches of both AUT and NATFHE that have been involved over the years in campaigns such as Unite.

I do agree anti-semitism is on the increase. There is plenty of evidence of this. That’s one reason I think we have to be wary of suggesting that racist lecturers such as Frank Ellis have the right to unconditionally proclaim their anti-semitism on the grounds that the right to do so is an integral part of academic freedom. I made this point in the Guardian and at more length in my GS Election Briefing on academic freedom.

I don’t agree that being critical of Israeli foreign policy necessarily fuels the fire of anti-semitism. On the contrary, there are many Jewish people critical of Israeli policies towards the Palestinians.

This year 660 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, three times as many as last year according to B’Tselem an independent monitor, whilst the number of Israeli citizens killed was 17 and security forces’ members killed totalled 6.

UCU joined many others last summer in being critical of Israeli forces actions in Lebanon– rightly so in my view. Such actions do nothing to secure long term peace in the region and increase hostility to Israel.

I am a member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians. I see no contradiction at all between being critical of Israeli policy towards Palestinians and being resolutely opposed to anti-semitism and indeed all forms of racism.
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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.