Wednesday 24th January

A question of leadership – privatisation

“We feel we are simply not getting any national support in our campaign against the privatisation of our university language centre. Our regional official has been great but we have had no national legal advice despite repeated requests, no visit from a senior national official, not a single press release, and no sign whatsoever of a national campaign. This is despite that fact that two university language centres have already been privatised in the last 6 months without any national campaign whatsoever and several months notice that we wanted support. What on earth can we do to galvanise the union?

Two members – Newcastle University

At the Newcastle University election hustings yesterday all three candidates were asked a similar question. Frankly it was embarrassing to be told this by your colleague.

I simply do not understand how it is possible that a major challenge to the union’s members and indeed trade union recognition for these members has gone unchallenged nationally until yesterday’s hustings. I can confirm, after my own investigations yesterday afternoon, that all these claims are unfortunately true.

The position is as follows:

1. Both AUT and NATFHE were opposed to the privatisation of educational functions.

2. This is just such a privatisation – similar in nature to the PFI schemes causing havoc to NHS Trust finances.

3. Norwich, Exeter and Newcastle universities were the first targets, but after several months of head office being alerted to this threat it is unfortunately true that no legal advice has been provided, no national press release has been issued, and no national support of any kind has been provided to the local associations, notwithstanding the excellent work of regional officials

4. Worse still, some 13 other university language centres are at risk and we have not yet even sought to alert our members in those institutions to the threat.

5. Fortunately there is a meeting of the Higher Education Committee this Friday. I hope that that Committee, which is due to discuss the issue, will adopt a robust approach of pledging active national support. There is no point in a post mortem as to how we got into this disappointing position. The important issue is to take urgent steps to stop the privatisation here and elsewhere.

I can speak from personal experience. When Northumbria University sought to privatise its language centre last year members got vigorous national support from NATFHE and myself as head of higher education. An industrial action ballot was called, and was successful, and a one day stoppage called. Whilst not completely successful it forced a major university rethink and an assurance that no similar moves would be attempted. Let’s hope it is not too late at Newcastle.

Lessons

The role of the General Secretary is not to tell members what to do. But it is to ensure members know what union policy is and are encouraged to take appropriate action, in the knowledge that if they do so the union will give early and full national support. Sometime we will win, sometimes we will not.

But if we don’t give members the options and the pledge of such support if they try, we are sure to lose.

Finally, of course, privatisation is not just an HE issue. FE colleges in the “157 Group” are calling for entire colleges to be allowed to go private a move I am sure we will vigorously oppose. See www.ucu.org.uk