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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. |
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FE Pay - Reject the Offer - United Action Can Win |
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Sep 29th - UCU FE Reps Statement urging a 'NO' vote - read here |
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UCU FE Sector Special Pay Conference Report At the special pay conference on Saturday 20th September the decision to approve acceptance of this year’s FE pay offer of 3.2% from October was narrowly carried by 61 votes to 54. UCU Left members of the executive argued and voted to reject. This decision will now go to a ballot of the FE membership with a recommendation to accept. Although it is true that the offer is one of the best in the public sector this year, achieved by the fantastic national strike action on 24th April and again in June by London members, it is still a pay cut. By a small majority delegates to the conference endorsed the argument that members do not want to continue to fight over this year’s deal on the basis that we will not be able to achieve any more. Instead, the motion passed called for the submission of a new pay claim together with the other FE sector unions, and for concentration on building a campaign around the almost 50% of colleges that have not yet won implementation of the 8-point pay scale, as well as a campaign over the London weighting allowance. There’s no shortage of anger among our members – lecturers, like other workers and their families, are really feeling the pinch. More massive increases in gas and electricity prices are on the way. Basic food prices are spiralling – eggs up 39%, milk up 17%, bread up 15%. Food prices have risen over 7% since last year. Fuel is more expensive, cheap mortgages are a thing of the past, and negative equity looms for millions of homeowners. UCU Left supporters argued that a continuation of the current pay campaign demanding no pay cuts and seeking unity with other public sector unions such as NUT and PCS should be run concurrently with a campaign to implement the national pay scales in all colleges and a campaign for a decent London weighting. A number of delegates also pointed out that in mid-September UCU together with NUT, PCS, UNITE and UNISON successfully carried a motion at the TUC conference to support coordinated strike action, a national day of action and a national demonstration. The NUT and PCS are balloting their members to take strike action in November. Unfortunately a number of FEC members opposed the idea of joint action with other public sector unions. They did not think that their members would be attracted by this strategy and instead argued for what amounts to a localised and fragmented campaign. Such a conservative and pessimistic view of the willingness of members to fight against pay cuts does not accord with UCU Left’s assessment. It was clear from reports to the Conference that where branch officers, regional officers and NEC members had provided clear leadership and strong arguments for rejection, members responded positively. The strategy proposed by those in favour of retreat was very similar to the one they argued for when they were a majority on the old NATFHE FEC. That resulted in FE being saddled with a two tier pay structure and the weaker branches being left isolated. The decision on Saturday therefore is a setback to the excellent campaign started last year which saw UCU members strike alongside NUT and PCS members. However, most UCU members know that if they are going to defend their living standards they are going to have to take a stand. All over the country, branch after branch reported that members will vote for action when they feel that their leaderships are serious about actually giving a lead in the defence of our living standards and conditions. In London out of the 18 branch reports received only 3 voted to accept the deal. In light of Saturday’s decision we also need to plan how to continue to build the broad resistance to pay cuts and defend Further and Adult Education. A changed situation What we have witnessed in the last week or two with the collapse of financial institutions worldwide is the mortal wounding of the free market ideology, a collapse unprecedented since at least the Wall Street crash of 1929 which is forcing right wing neo-liberal governments to step in with billions and trillions of dollars and pounds to ensure that ailing banks are nationalised and their dodgy toxic debts guaranteed. As the crisis works its way through to the “real economy” it will have a direct impact on working people’s lives around the world through rising prices, mass unemployment and widespread home repossessions. Quite clearly there will be implications for the FE sector. But it does not have to be like this. We don't have to allow the greed and self interest of employers or government make us pay through pay cuts and job losses for their crisis which has been brought about by a tiny minority of the rich and powerful. It is understandable that some of our members might feel that in the current financial and economic context we should perhaps give up on pay and move on to other issues. However, we need to counter this with the truth that if we give up on our pay then they will take our jobs too. It is not a coincidence that the day after UNISON nationally gave up on their pay campaign by going into arbitration Oldham Council announced 850 job losses. The way forward Pay There will now be a ballot of all members starting on the 29th September and ending on 13th October. UCU Left will be urging members to vote No to the pay offer in this ballot on the basis that further determined and united action can deliver a better offer from the AoC. We should continue the campaign and come out on strike with teachers and other public sector unions in November. However, if members do vote to accept then we should put in a claim as early as possible alongside other FE unions and prepare to ballot those colleges that have not yet got the 8 point pay scale. In London we need to immediately launch a new campaign over London weighting. The next London regional meeting will discuss how this campaign can be built, including the potential for regional strike action. We should also make sure that if the NUT and PCS come out on strike later this term every college branch should organise lunchtime protests, collections and delegations in their support. In Defence of Further and Adult Education We need to launch a campaign now calling on the government to completely rethink its education policies. The Leitch review, which formed the basis of government policy on F/A Education, is now dead. The whole government strategy was based on the belief that the economy would continue to boom and skills shortages would need to be filled. That strategy is in tatters. We need now to campaign for the government to change course and start to put in place an education policy and funding mechanisms that reflect this changed situation. We need to ensure that we put forward our alternative to the government’s market driven neo-liberal strategy. The launch of the Campaigning Alliance for Life Long Learning on the 30th September at Britannia Street will be an important start in achieving this. Each branch should try and send a delegate and Regions should plan similar launches around the country as well. |
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| Related Material | |||||||||
June 10th - June 9th Strike & Lobby - report here June 5th - June 4th FE Pay protests - report here April 24th - UCU/NUT/PCS Pay Strike - report here |
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