Juliana Ojinnaka

UCU NEC elections: 
Vote Juliana Ojinnaka for Vice President

Equality is at the centre of what we do. A more equal society is a fairer one.

I am a Lecturer in A level Sociology at Sheffield College.  FE teaching has enabled me to encourage oppressed groups to develop their education to HE Level and subsequently thrive in their careers and futures.

Union Roles

  • Black Members Standing Committee: 2017-present
  • Women Members Standing Committee: 2019-2020
  • Y&H BME Network:  2016-present
  • Chair, UCU BMSC: 2021-present
  • Vice-Chair WMSC: 2021-present
  • Chair, Y&H Regional Committee: 2021-present
  • UCU NEC member: 2021-present
  • TUC Congress delegate: 2021
  • UCU International Working Group: 2021-present
  • UCU Left member

Grassroots

I have been a UCU/NATFHE member committed to fighting oppressive practices in the workplace for 34 years. I am active in community issues with grassroots links; I participated in the Sheffield COP26 rally.

COVID-19 remains a concern; we must push management to improve ventilation, encourage mask-wearing, and improve signage and cleaning regimes.

Victories

In universities and colleges, workloads, pay and pensions are major issues.  HE members are right to take industrial action. FE has also won ballots, including my college, securing victories and gaining long overdue pay rises and improved conditions. 

Job security for casualised workers is a central issue for UCU.  As your VP one of my first priorities will be to share the positive experience of resisting pay cuts and worsening working conditions with more branches so they too can protect their members.

Equality is at the centre of what we do. A more equal society is a fairer one. On every measure BAME, women and disabled staff have the worst conditions. They are most likely to be on casualised contracts and most likely the first to go in times of reorganisations. Equal opportunity in education requires funding.  I support a return of the Education Maintenance Allowance and ending tuition fees.  

Much has been said by government and employers about the importance of our sectors and the up-skilling required by society, however, this is not matched with funding.  I will champion an end to marketisation and a reorientation towards educational values and student welfare.  

As an NEC member I spoke on Black women’ and girls’ education at the TUC and have been involved in UCU and TUC webinars, including:

  • Black women and the gender pay gap
  • Black workers and mental health
  • Decolonising the curriculum
  • Flexible working
  • Mental health
  • Disabilities issues

Elect me as your VP and I will continue to work within UCU using my significant experience as a lecturer and union activist at all levels of the union to address the problems faced by our members.  There is a committed educational community in further, higher, adult and prison education which is prepared to fight for a sector that can transform lives and in doing so can transform society. United we can make progress.

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