Motion 3: The Disruption of UCU National Congress and Democracy in the Union

UCL UCU notes:

1. walkouts by UCU staff during UCU Congress on Wednesday 30 May and Friday 1 June when two motions were up for debate, stopping Congress from continuing;
2. that these two motions were critical of the General Secretary's actions in the decision to end the USS strike action, and varied from 'no confidence' (Motion 10) to 'censure' (Motion 11);
3. that the effect of these walkouts was to cost UCU most of Congress business and nearly two days of delegate time.

UCL UCU further notes:

1. that the sovereign body of UCU and the AGM is Congress; that between Congresses it is the National Executive Committee; and that between NEC meetings, the General Secretary and the President make day-to-day decisions.

UCL UCU believes that:

1. it is a basic trade union principle that all elected representatives must be subject to recall by the appropriate voting body, including passing motions of no confidence or censure;
2. congress is the appropriate democratic voting body for considering such motions with respect to nationally and regionally elected officers of UCU including the General Secretary;
3. motions 10 and 11 were properly ordered onto the Congress agenda (and had been tabled and public weeks before Congress);
4. the General Secretary had in excess of 48 hours from the first walkout to the close of Congress in which she could have chosen to distance herself from the walkouts and insist that the debate take place;
5. the General Secretary took no action, and as a result avoided facing the criticism of Congress and thereby brought UCU into disrepute.

UCL UCU resolves that:

1. motions 10 and 11 should be heard at a recall Congress;
2. branch delegates should be mandated to vote in favour of Motion 10, that is, to support a Congress vote of no confidence in the General Secretary;
3. in the meantime we must continue to build united campaigns over pay and pensions.