Keep Left in UNISON Higher Education

UNISON Higher Education Service Group Elections: Vote for a leadership that fights for you

This week, voting opened in UNISON’s Service Group elections. These elections will decide the national executives for each of the seven industrial areas covered by the union. These committees oversee all bargaining and negotiations for their respective areas, as well as deciding the direction on political questions specific to their industry. As such, they are an important mechanism for those who want to organise resistance to austerity and neoliberalism.

The case of the Higher Education Service Group Executive shows how important this is. This committee has had a significant left minority over the last two years and in that time it was the only national UNISON body to oppose the pensions sell-out in 2012 and has organised a serious pay dispute in Universities over the last year.

That left leadership is now being challenged from the right, as those who are against strike action in principle seek to take control and hold off future battles on pay, jobs and the future of education. It is important that as many campus activists as possible – staff, lecturers and students – are distributing election material and encouraging UNISON members to vote.

A full list of the left slate:

North West female: Linda Holden

Eastern general: Mark Dee Smith

Greater London female: Molly Cooper

Greater London general: Sandy Nicoll

South East general: Ivan Bonsell

The following left candidates were elected unopposed: Consuelo Moreno, Kath Owen, Sarah Pickett, Andy Beech.

For election material relating to your area, please contact adcunningham@hotmail.co.uk.