Dr Deepa Govindarajan Driver (University of Reading)

Lecturer, Henley Business School, University of Reading

Election address

·       Lecturer in Governance, Financial Regulation and Risk, University of Reading (2008 - present) 

·       Branch President, Reading UCU 

·       Alternate negotiator and former chair of negotiators - USS pensions 

·       Former member of UCU NEC 

·       Former chair of UCU Legal Panel 

·       Previous employment as a financial regulator and banker 

I am a disabled, Black, first-generation immigrant woman NEC candidate, and an experienced branch officer with significant national experience.  

Working with others, I have opposed sham 'redundancies' and rampant casualisation; challenged poor governance; defended academic freedom; and negotiated workplace policies. Having chaired UCU's UK-wide legal panel I'm also acutely aware of how timely deployment of union resources doesn't just help members in distress but also catalyses local and national victories for all workers. Organising with members who face the brunt of a marketised workplace has helped me to develop the nuanced, political understanding needed to make good decisions on UCU's NEC. When we organise well, we can win. I am proud to have chaired UCU's USS negotiating team when we secured the momentous unwinding of employers' circa 40% cuts to USS pensions (and ensured members received restitution).  

If you vote for me, you can be sure that I  

- am able to stand firm when things get rocky;  

- support vibrant, pluralistic debate; 

- will uphold democratic processes and decisions; 

- care deeply about fairness and social justice; 

- oppose war, conflict and weapons-spending in our international positions; 

- will vote for our collective decisions to be implemented; 

- want a safe and inclusive workplace for members and UCU staff 

Outside UCU, I am vice-chair of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers and have served as legal observer on landmark cases relating to national security, Palestine solidarity, freedom of information, academic freedom/ employment law, whistleblowing and justice for survivors of war and torture. As as a former financial regulator and as vice-chair of the Board of Brussels-based NGO Finance Watch, I am also accustomed to scrutinising finances. I hope you will allow me to use these skills and my lived experience to serve members.  

Post-16 education can foster critical thinking, disseminate knowledge, liberate and inspire. As labour organisers, together we can build a progressive, just and humane society with public education at its core; where workers are fairly paid, have secure work and safe conditions, and have dignity and security in work and in retirement. Please vote for me and for Sean Wallis as Vice President (HE), Regine Pilling as Vice President (FE), and UCU Left candidates to realise a credible, democratic, just and effective UCU.