Rhiannon Lockley (Birmingham City University)

Rhiannon Lockley (Birmingham City University) 

Election address 

Lecturer (Education and Social Work), Birmingham City University.  

I stand for an outward-looking, member-led, democratic UCU.   

Key responsibilities of the elected candidate: Chair (Higher Education Committee, Sector Conferences, Branch Delegate Meetings, NEC, Congress); HE negotiator.  

My experience:  

• BCU Chair (2021-present), Secretary (BCU, Halesowen College)  

• NEC Midlands FE (2017-2019), Midlands HE (2021-present)  

• West Midlands Chair (2015-2018), (2022-present)  

• Equality Chair (2023-present), chairing two UK-wide hybrid conferences.  

• Established BCU JNCC locked out of sector-bargaining, extensive negotiation.  

As chair I prioritise care for participants, care for hearing business, and care for upholding democracy. As a negotiator I know the importance of democratic mandate, and of organising leverage.   

I understand our union and listen to members. I worked in FE (2005-2018) before moving to HE. As regional chair, I've organised with ACE and Prison Education, with students and other unions. At BCU I've built representation for Professional Services. I'm studying for a doctorate (focusing on education unions), understanding PGR issues. I'm a highly experienced caseworker.   

I've worked extensively to centre equality in UCU including winning support for trans rights, defending abortion rights, and mobilising in response to the far right. UCU must continue work in solidarity with workers around the world against genocide and scholasticide and organise against emboldened attacks on the marginalised in our workplaces and communities.  

I've visited pickets and branches across our regions and nations. I support UCU developing strength and unity, both through empowering branch recruitment, activism and campaigns, and through defending and building sector bargaining.  

At BCU, I've worked to  

• Double membership to become a large Post-92 branch, with high meeting turnouts  

• Build the branch through action, beating ballot thresholds, growing activism, making gains for members  

HE must resist attacks on jobs, pension threats, and erosion of curriculum and research. FE needs investment and pay parity. ACE needs to be reestablished as central to community growth. Prison educators urgently need safety in the workplace. Pay, equality, workload, job-security and bargaining machinery are key priorities across our sectors.   

Workplace pressures are intensifying. We can meet this by renewing ourstrategies for engagement: principles of labour organising are key. Members need space to share issues, formulate demands collectively, debate and vote on strategy. We must work together to reestablish confidence decisions will be implemented.   

UCU must model trade union values.  

I am endorsed by ucu left and by non-aligned UCU reps across our sectors and nations: read more at https://rhiannonforucuvp.wordpress.com/ .   

My record is one of building consensus and unity. I act transparently and accountably and respect my mandate. These are the principles I will uphold with your vote.   

Thank you for supporting UCU by voting in these elections!