Alan Carr, re-elected as UCU Treasurer, is also Honorary Vice President (UCU) of UNIFY. He writes about his experiences of unity in a personal capacity.

“At the turn of the century, relations between AUT and NATFHE were so bad that I could see no possibility of significant unity – still less merger – this side of the next millennium! That’s why I was attracted to Professional Unity 2000. I hoped that we would be dragged together by what then looked like the inevitable coming together of the main school teaching unions.”

How wrong can you be? And how quickly things can change! The main school teaching unions are no further forward while AUT and NATFHE have merged into the University and College Union. It’s not exactly been a marriage made in heaven and some things have been difficult. But things are a hell of a lot better than they would have been without the merger.

Currently, UCU faces numerous difficult issues – perhaps most significantly, employer attempts to divide us over national bargaining structures. Four years ago, we would have been at each others throats. Now, we are in a position to settle differences internally – by asking members to decide – and to present a united face to the employers and government.

The school teaching unions can and must do the same in response to the threats that they face – in particular the threat that a future Cameron led Tory government will try to “take them on”.

The time for unity has arrived. We should aim to bring together all in education from the nursery to the university. With a united, million member union we can exercise real political and industrial muscle. Sigh up to “UNIFY” now and lets build one powerful union speaking up for all sectors of education.

Alan Carr
National Treasurer UCU (in personal capacity)