Dear Bill and others,
What ever you decide it is important to vote. I am a UCU Branch officer at MMU as well as
BUIRA Secretary. In terms of the elections, as a member of UCU Left I will be supporting
their candidates in the election, one of whom is my partner, Christine Vie. I attach her
election leaflet and general UCU Left election statement (see www.uculeft.org).
On national bargaining, my postion is that we should vote 'NO' on the basis that we need
single table bargaining (UCU, Unison, UNITE, etc) for the sector as this makes us stronger
- unity is strength! However, the current proposals amount to a partial no-strike
agreement (as admitted by Sally Hunt) by virtue of delaying the possibility of any
industrial action until the end of May each year. In other words, our only effective
weapon would be rendered impotent given the end of May would be when exams and assessment
are ended. I attach a 'Why you should vote 'No' statement' supported by my own branch at
MMU.
By the way there are two other postions in the debate. Vote 'Yes' supported by Sally Hunt
and a minority of the NEC, on the grounds that national bargaining is under attack and we
should accept current proposals as they are the best available, otherwise many emeployers
will walk away form national bargaining, especially the Russell Group, and do their own US
style, market based, thing on pay.
The other postion is vote 'No' because of opposotion to single table bargaining in
principle. These prefer local bargaining and/or the old style sector-wide academic only
bargaining. I believe this is an argument tinged with more than a little academic elitism
and pushed particularly strongly by members in Russell Group branches where local
bargaining and higher pay are being dangled enticingly by their VCs, who claim national
bargainig is suppressing their academics pay.
I hope this helps,
Paul
Paul Brook,
British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA) Membership Secretary,
Senior Lecturer,
Manchester Metropolitan University Business School,
Aytoun Street,
Manchester M1 3BH
0161 247 3993
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>>> "Cooke, Bill" <[log in to unmask]> 02/06/08 10:49 am >>>
Hi all,
apologies to non-UK members.
How should one vote in the two ballots I have been sent by the UCU ?
I have one on the pay deal - where we have to vote Yes/No ; and another
for elections to the Exec of the Union.
Are there any insights beyond the bland stuff I got from the Union
people want to share?
Bill
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