Michael Abberton (University of Cambridge)

I'm Michael Abberton, and I'm running for the position of geographically-elected NEC member for HE London and the East. I have been working in UK Higher Education since 2004 when I returned from Japan, where I held the position of Vice-Principal at a vocational college. For the past twelve years, I have been employed by the University of Cambridge, specifically at Cambridge University Press and Assessment, serving as a Senior Assessment Manager.

I have actively engaged with the local UCU branch, holding various roles such as Department Representative, Caseworker, Casework Coordinator, and since 2020, Branch President. Recently, I was re-elected unopposed to continue as Branch President for the 2023-24 term. I have undergone formal UCU and TUC training in areas ranging from Employment Law to Negotiation and Bargaining. I am a certified Health and Safety Representative and a mental health first-aider and ambassador.

As Branch President, I was part of the negotiating team that achieved a historic milestone for our branch: a voluntary recognition agreement with the University of Cambridge, the last public university in England to recognize UCU.

We have had constructive talks with university management amid the pay dispute, an approach which helped pave the way for the first joint union/management statement urging UCEA to engage in meaningful talks. Being a proud union member throughout my working life, I strongly believe that a union should function as a community, offering mutual support locally, regionally and nationally. I am committed to creating a safe space where every member can contribute and have their voice heard. The inability to attend a meeting ought not to bar members from participating in union deliberations. I am against the notion of union elitism, where members are judged primarily for the extent of their activism. All members should have equal opportunities to shape the union.

In the face of an increasingly dangerous culture war, our workplaces are under attack. I fully endorse the union's stance on transgender and non-binary people, as clearly reaffirmed in this year's Congress. However, I believe that we need to go further and actively push back against the normalization of harmful anti-LGBTQ+ opinions and stereotypes. The media's daily abuse towards the LGBTQ+ community is deeply concerning, and I am determined to stand against it.

I am proud to be one of the original members of the Campaign for UCU Democracy, and I bring a wealth of experience and dedication to this role. If elected, I will continue to champion the rights and interests of all our members and work tirelessly to ensure that our union remains inclusive, democratic, strategic, and effective in addressing the challenges we face.