Elections for the National Executive Committee (NEC) posts open on the 27th of Jan 2025, and will close at 17:00 on the 3rd of Mar 2025. Replacement ballots can be requested via this form until 24th Feb.
These elections come at a crucial time for the Union and it is fair to say that there are quite distinct approaches amongst the various candidates that could have a significant impact on the future of our campaigns and approach to industrial action. We strongly encourage all members to engage in this election period. A number of colleagues have expressed concerns that decisions taken at a national level do not represent their views as members. This is your opportunity to shift that dynamic and to exercise your power as a member of UCU.
National Executive Committee Elections
For those not familiar with how the national bodies of UCU work, NEC is the body that sets policy for the whole of UCU, including members from HE, FE, Adult Education, and Prison Education. It is different to HEC, which is only for HE members and is the body that has set specific policy around our most recent industrial action. Whilst responsible for a broader remit, NEC makes a number of decisions that have significant implications for our specific campaigns in HE, including decisions relating to strategy, funding, and resources.
Many members running for the NEC are aligned with one of the factions within UCU, but several claim no official affiliation. Other candidates are endorsed by particular factions, but do not themselves claim to be aligned with them/their goals. The online hustings event was held on 5 February. The recording is available here. You will also find each candidate’s election addresses on the UCU website and in your voting pack. There will also be additional content online/as part of their faction’s website.
We encourage all members to engage with this content and make informed decisions based on how they want UCU to act in the near and longer term future.
There are a number of posts up for election to the NEC, including
- Trustees (3 to elect)
- Vice President from the higher education sector (1 to elect)
- Honorary Treasurer (1 to elect)
- Representative of disabled members (1 to elect)
- Representative of LGBT+ members (1 to elect)
- Representatives of black members (2 to elect including at least one woman)
- Representative of migrant members (1 to elect)
- Representative of casually employed members (1 to elect)
- UK-elected members for HE (3 to elect)
Factions within UCU: Who are they and what do they stand for?
When approaching the UCU elections, many members are unaware of the factional politics that can sometimes influence the decision-making process. Factionalism within UCU is not new or unique and can provide positive benefits – in terms of understanding the position of candidates on important issues – as well as sometimes frustrating the wider work of the Union. The UEA UCU Committee does not take a position on any faction within UCU, but we do feel it is important that members understand what is meant when candidates align themselves with one of these groups. There are currently three named factions within UCU which operate in quite different ways and have (in some areas) very different views on how we should secure the future of UCU and the sector.
To help members we have generated brief summaries of the main factions below. We have tried to present these in a factual way, but this does mean that our commentary is limited. We encourage any member more interested in a particular faction/it’s ideas to engage with the content linked below. All three of these groups have blog posts and/or other commentary on their websites which address their positionality within UCU, their vision for its future, and their relation to other groups within the Union.
UCU Left
UCU Left is one of the oldest remaining factions within UCU. This group is highly organised and centralised, with members paying a separate levy to UCU Left that has its own internal hierarchy that is elected by members on a regular basis. UCU Left presumes the power and efficacy of direct industrial action, and their candidates often take positions that call for continued and sustained industrial action, including calls for indefinite action. In the past they have been highly critical of decisions taken by the HEC to pause strike action, and called for a swift return to industrial action on pay in the upcoming round. You can find more information about UCU Left and their candidates on their website.
UCU Commons
UCU Commons launched in 2021, but emerged as a faction during the 2018 industrial action and was initially closely aligned with Jo Grady’s candidacy for General Secretary in 2019. They are less centrally organised than UCU Left and candidates are not required to vote according to factional lines (although they must subscribe to a set of values). They are no longer associated with Jo Grady, but have tended to support actions taken/strategy proposed by the general secretary in recent years. UCU Commons candidates are often in favour of industrial action, but have posed questions about the coherence of our recent strategy and backed calls for a period of reassessment and the generation of a longer term strategy. You can find more information about UCU Commons and their candidates on their website.
The Campaign for UCU Democracy
Members aligned to the Campaign for UCU Democracy (CUCUD) explicitly reject the idea that they are a “faction”, but have nevertheless coalesced around a number of shared ideals in a way not dissimilar to UCU Commons. They are steadfastly opposed to UCU Left’s influence over the Union and contain members who both agree and oppose work being done by members within UCU Commons. Those involved with the CUCUD advocate for a much more conservative approach to industrial action that would require significantly higher levels of member density before any future action is called. You can find more information about the CUCUD and their candidates on their website.