The UCU Left is a national organisation of University and College Union activists. It is committed to ensuring that the new union has a democratic structure through which members can determine policy, and elected officers and professional officials can be held accountable. It seeks to defend educational equality, and to oppose the consequences of neo-liberal marketisation. It is opposed to all forms of racism, sexism, oppression and imperialism.
NEC Election - Women Members in FE

Maire Daley (Liverpool Community College)

Election Address

I’m standing for re-election to the NEC in a National Women’s seat, as a feminist and a socialist, to ask for your support in working to ensure that the new union develops sound, progressive policies and structures that allow for the maximum involvement of members.


Resisting the Business Agenda

I am absolutely of the belief that nothing in Education Policy happens by accident and that we as a union need to actively plan and campaign for the type of education that we want to see. We are having to deal with a plethora of often ill considered Government Initiatives as well as massive cuts in Adult Education and ESOL. The major re-construction a new F/AE sector is miles away from where it needs to be in order to provide real educational opportunities. There are grave concerns about funding levels and significantly there is increased interference within the curriculum. All of this can be attributed to the growing ruthless business agenda and will result in the undermining of our role.

The obvious links from this is to our pay and conditions. There is evidence that the current working conditions for teachers are under serious threat in the Government’s move to the Train to Gain agenda.


Focus on Equality

Equality work needs to remain a big focus within the union. In NATFHE we had a deserved reputation as being in the forefront of equality work. I am committed to ensuring the UCU enables us to maintain our progressive equality agenda.

Having visited Colombia to meet teachers and trade unionists who, every day, put their life on the line to argue for peace and social justice, I found the clarity, that came out of the extreme situation that those people found themselves in, to be revealing about our own role – teachers and trade unionists are ‘dangerous’ – and we should be! While the risks that we might take are not the same as the Colombians - there are risks that need to be taken in order to protect what we believe in and arguments that need to be made for our beliefs. I think it is the duty of UCU and its NEC to take forward the difficult agenda we have in front of us to preserve the type of education provision that our students have a right to expect.


I call for your support to carry on pursuing a broad progressive agenda to:

  • Develop and preserve the democratic inclusion of members through Branch, Regional and National structures;


  • Support the essential work of standing up for the individual rights of members when they meet unfair treatment at work and stand against institutional discrimination;


  • Continue to support campaigns when our government:

    • fails our students (e.g. cuts in adult education, ESOL and imposition of fees);


    • supports the reactionary right (e.g. discriminatory immigration policies, unlawful detentions);


    • fails us in the global context (e.g. the illegal occupation of Iraq or continuing to provide military aid to Colombia).

Biographical information including service to the union

I joined NATFHE in 1980 and have been an active member since.


Branch and Liaison Committee:
  • Secretary (5 years)


  • Chair (15 Years)


  • Branch Committee (4 years) - current


  • Negotiating chair (5 years)


  • Treasurer (8 years) - current



Region:
  • Representative to the National Women’s Rights Committee


  • Representative to the LGBT Advisory Committee – current


  • National and Sector Conference delegate


  • Regional Secretary


  • Deputy Secretary



Nationally:
  • Three times elected to NEC: women’s seat (current)


  • Delegate - TUC Women’s Conference


  • Delegate - TUC Lesbian and Gay Conference


  • Elected to the TUC LGBT Committee


  • Delegate - Justice for Colombia visit to Colombia
    (member of JFC National Committee and contributor to conference on 'Women and War in Colombia')


  • Member of the Equality of the NEC (current)


  • Elected Chair of EAC (current)

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