Defend Pensions, Defend Education
Over the last year members have shown how collective action can win. In Further Education we have won important victories over Institute for Learning membership and over Adult Funding.
We have also seen how UCU’s defence of our pension, in unity with other unions, has been enormously popular amongst members with record recruitment to UCU.
We, however, face more attacks as the government attempts to drive the market and privatisation further and further into education under the cover of austerity.
I am standing as a member of UCU Left who believes ‘another education is possible’. The fight over pensions, job losses and workload must be linked to the struggle to defend education.
Deprived
The North West is one of the most deprived regions of the United Kingdom and we see first hand the effects of education cuts on our young people – the cuts to EMA has meant that many students can no longer access college and have been left to rot on the dole.
We need representatives who are prepared to organise members to rise to this challenge. I am committed to a democratic, member-led union and will:
- Campaign on behalf of all members and work hard for those that are on part-time and casual contracts as well as permanent staff
- Build solidarity and support for branches fighting redundancies, victimisations and bullying and harassment
- Campaign for a union led by its grassroots members and that has democratic structures that work from the bottom up through branches, regions and Congress
- Seek to build unity with other trade unionists, anti-cuts campaigners and communities to organise the most effective fight against the government’s cuts and privatisation agenda
- Oppose oppression of all kinds and ensure that equality work is central to the union.
Biographical information including service to the union
- 1989-1993 Branch Representative Communication Workers Union (Foreign Section)
- 2003-04 Membership Secretary NATFHE Croydon College Branch
- 2004-06 Branch Chair NATFHE Croydon College Branch
- 2006-08 Branch Secretary UCU Croydon College Branch
- 2006-08 delegate London Regional Council
- 2010-11 Union Learning Representative UCU Blackpool and the Fylde College Branch
- 2010-present Branch Delegate Blackpool and the Fylde Trades Council
- 2010-11 Branch Chair UCU Blackpool and the Fylde College
- I am a lecturer at Blackpool and the Fylde College
Leaflet downloads are available from here.
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