UCU Belongs to Its Members — These Elections Matter
UCU is about to begin elections for its officers and national committees at a difficult and, frankly, exhausting moment. We are dealing with the aftermath of a failed national HE strike ballot, a deepening crisis in post-16 and prison education, and ongoing disputes that are putting real strain on branches and activists. It would be easy to switch off. In reality, this is exactly the moment when member involvement matters most.
UCU only works when members shape it. That happens locally, through branches, and nationally, through elections and ballots. If members don’t take part, decisions are still made — just without the breadth of voices and experience that should be guiding them. Participation isn’t an optional extra; it’s how members retain control of their union.
Last year, UCU commissioned the Labour Research Department to look at members’ perceptions of union democracy, based on a survey of nearly 8,000 members. The findings should encourage us. They show a union with a committed, engaged membership, particularly at branch level. But they also show that many members feel blocked from fuller participation by structural and cultural barriers. Time pressure is the biggest issue, made worse by opaque decision-making, complex national structures, and communication that is often unclear or inaccessible.
Branches are widely valued, but participation is uneven, especially among casualised staff, migrant members and some under-represented groups, many of whom report real barriers to inclusion. Engagement with national structures is much lower, even though those who do take part often report positive experiences. That gap feeds a widespread perception that power is overly centralised, and that members are distant from how national decisions are made. Trust, particularly after recent disputes, has taken a knock.
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The recent HE industrial action ballot is a case in point. An earlier indicative ballot showed clearly that the support for national action simply wasn’t there. Nonetheless, a full ballot was pushed through nationally by a margin of just one vote. Arguments grounded in members’ own responses, calls for a serious grassroots campaign and a clear, credible strategy before balloting, were dismissed or even derided. After the ballot failed, branches raised exactly the same concerns that had already been voiced in committee: resources were stretched, many branches were already in dispute, and members facing job losses were not in a position to support a national pay campaign.
For me, this wasn’t a moment for “I told you so”. It was frustrating and disheartening. What struck me most was how many branch delegates didn’t know what work was already happening nationally, or what positions their elected representatives had taken. That is precisely the transparency and communication gap the research identified. When members don’t know who is saying what, or why decisions are being taken, trust inevitably suffers.
If UCU is to function as a democratic union, committee members must represent their constituents, not a factional line or a pre-determined political position. Transparency, accountability and honest reporting back are not optional — they are fundamental. Members are entitled to know how and why decisions are made, and to hold their representatives to account.
As we head into this year’s elections, I hope members will take the opportunity to ask questions, to scrutinise candidates, and to support those who will genuinely represent the views of the members who elect them. For the sake of transparency, I am standing for re-election. I am not part of a faction, though I support the principles of the Campaign for UCU Democracy. My commitment is to the trade union movement and to representing members by listening, consulting and reporting back. I record every vote I cast, and when necessary I will vote against my own instincts if I believe that is what members’ interests require.
The candidates I am supporting share that approach, even when we don’t always agree. A healthy union depends on open debate, mutual respect and a willingness to change minds in the face of evidence — not on votes being decided before a meeting even starts.
These elections matter. They are one of the most direct ways members have to shape the future of UCU. Please take part: read the statements, ask questions, and above all, use your vote. A stronger, more democratic union depends on it.
