Stephen Desmond (Southampton Solent University)

Senior Lecturer in Film & Television Production, Southampton Solent University

Election address

STEPHEN DESMOND

BETTER PAY- BETTER PENSIONs - JOB SECURITY - AFFORDABLE LEGAL

SERVICES

My name is Steve Desmond. I am President of our UCU Branch at Southampton Solent University where I am currently leading the campaign to block Solent management in its plans to 'TUPE' all teaching staff to a 'sham subsidiary', stripping us of our access to the Teachers' Pension Scheme. If Solent Management get away with this move, this mode of action will cascade across the sector. This is why I am devoting every fibre of my being to bringing together the widest coalition to fight these proposals. I am delighted to tell you that the formal ballot for industrial action which we are currently running at Solent University, with 10 days to go to its completion, currently has a 64% (approximately) turnout, which is unheard of and historic for our University which only once before in its history has narrowly surpassed the 50% threshold requirement. I have led the campaign to Get the Vote Out that is headed for unprecedented success. WE WILL REVERSE SOLENT UNIVERSITY PLANS TO STRIP LECTURERS OF TPS RIGHTS.

If you elect me as your Vice-President, I will bring the same level of commitment and energy, vision and acumen to this crucially important national role within UCU.

I bring enthusiasm, I bring 'thinking-outside-the-box, I bring strategic resilience, and I bring vision. Above all I bring a cast-iron belief in the importance of teachers, in the importance of education, in the importance of solidarity and building a sweeping national movement of educators and education workers that rolls back the horrible frontiers of corrosive marketisation in our Universities.

I will bring great debates, fire-in-the-belly, big speeches, limitless backbone, tonnes of vision, tonnes of belief in students and teachers, limitless love of my profession to which I have devoted my life and breath, huge national organising and solidarity, relentless lobbying of Government, proven acumen to use and mobilise the national media. I will bring all of that. Above all I will bring passion and strategy and a belief and love for my Union UCU. I admire the relentless work of so many members, activists and employees within UCU. So many serve our Union with so much distinction every day. And I say this: if you elect me as your Vice-President, I will serve this Union with a dedication and a passion, and a love for what we can achieve together, that will be beyond compare.

I will never let you down. I will never tire. I will be driven by the power of all that we can do as a national movement for change in Education that fosters social opportunity for all.

BIOGRAPHY: https://www.solent.ac.uk/staff/academic/stephen-desmond