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 - UK-Elected HE Seats

Sue Blackwell (University of Birmingham)

Election Address

Democracy and transparency

Having served both NATFHE and AUT at local level over the past two decades, I feel it is now time to offer myself as a candidate for the national executive of UCU. I supported the merger because we need a united front to pursue our campaign for better pay and conditions in the face of sustained aggression from both employers and governments; but at the same time I have serious concerns about democracy and transparency within our new union. As an activist and a member of UCU Left I will continue to campaign for a union of which we can be proud and which is accountable to its members. Some of the AUT leadership exhibited what I can only describe as disgraceful and divisive conduct during the 2006 industrial action. It is time for a change of leadership and of direction.


Tackling discrimination, bullying and workplace stress
Defending academic freedom

Among the various roles I hold within UCU, the most demanding is that of casework officer. In recent years I have advised and represented members in cases involving discrimination on grounds of sex, race, disability, age and sexual orientation; compulsory redundancy; early retirement; abuses of power by managers; and serious mental illness due to, or exacerbated by, work-related stress. We need a confident, campaigning union to end the pernicious cultures and practices in our institutions which cause so much distress and damage.

Bullying and harassment are pervasive in our workplaces. As a socialist and trade unionist all my working life I believe it is essential to stand up to bullies, be they heads of school, Vice Chancellors, cabinet ministers or entire governments. Civil liberties rank high on my agenda. I believe that academic freedom is indivisible: the rights of our members in the UK cannot be asserted at the expense of our colleagues in Iraq, Palestine, Zimbabwe or anywhere else. The principle of solidarity is central to trade unionism.


Solitarity - together we are strong

UCU's predecessors have not always been good at building solidarity. The current campaign for a bigger share of the top-up fees which are driving our students into appalling hardship will lose us their goodwill. Instead, UCU should oppose ALL tuition fees and campaign for proper government funding of HE from general taxation.

Solidarity between staff and students, between UCU and other campus unions, between staff in FE and HE, between academic and academic-related staff and between members in the old and new universities will all be required to deliver the improvements in pay and conditions our members deserve. I offer myself to you as a grass-roots activist who cares passionately about human rights both locally and globally and who is not afraid to "speak truth to power" whenever necessary.

I am not a member of any political party in the UK, but have recently joined the Socialist Party in the Netherlands. I am also a member of Amnesty International, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) which campaigns for academic and cultural boycott of Israel until the occupation of the Palestinian Territory is ended.



Biographical information including service to the union

Current post: Lecturer B in English Language, University of Birmingham, since 1992.


UCU involvement at national and branch level:

Previous Trade Union membership: T&GWU (1981-2); ASTMS (1983-6, delegate to Council); NATFHE (1986-1990, Branch Secretary at PCL Euston branch).

I have served BAUT as a member of committee, departmental representative, Assistant Honorary Secretary, Vice-President, Treasurer, casework officer, Press Officer and delegate to Birmingham TUC.

I am currently BUCU Vice-President, Press Officer and casework officer. I represent BUCU on the Stress Review Group, and in negotiations with management on JNCC. I am currently helping to negotiate the University's new Statutes and Ordinances which will affect all our members' terms and conditions of service.

At national level, I have been a longstanding member of AUT Council and served on AUT Council Agenda Committee from 2003-2006. I was an elected member of the Investigative Commission on Palestine and Israel. I am currently a member of UCU's Provisional Congress Business Committee (PCBC).


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