Duncan Moore (South Devon College)

Maths Lecturer, Maths department, South Devon College

Election address

Defend post-16 education, build on our action, our members need a political voice. 

Our members have brilliantly won strike mandates in dozens of colleges across the country. The overwhelming 'yes' vote across all branches shows that our members have had enough and are determined to fight for better pay and conditions. 

These strikes have the potential to be the beginning of a campaign to fix the crises in our colleges. Now we need a democratic, fighting leadership that backs up our action. 

Since being elected in 2023 as an NEC member for FE, I have consistently voted in favour of action. I have confidence that our members can win, and I have a strong record of grassroots organising and building the trade union movement's strength. 

I support UCU mounting a serious, sustained campaign to: 

·       Restore our pay. The massive real-terms pay cuts of the last 15 years must be reversed, so we can recruit and retain staff 

·       Bring workloads back to a sustainable level. More admin and learning support staff, smaller class sizes and a 32-hour working week, without loss of pay 

·       Fight job cuts in adult education!  UCU must campaign to reverse Labour's cuts to the adult skills budget 

·       Keep the pressure on for meaningful, binding national bargaining agreements 

This government is Labour in name only. It has not scrapped the anti-union ballot thresholds, and is presiding over a funding crisis in adult education, FE and universities. I support a political strategy that puts much more pressure on the government, including demanding: 

·       full funding of post-16 education 

·       end marketisation - FE should be under democratic public control and management, not unelected corporate directors 

·       scrap the turnout thresholds and all anti-union laws 

We should implement the policy agreed at 2024 Congress to invite politicians who say they stand on our side to the NEC, to discuss how to build a political voice that champions our policies, and to encourage members to stand as anti-austerity candidates. Trade unionists need a political voice. 

Trade unions should take the lead in building a movement to unify workers against the far-right, racism, sexism, LGBTQ+phobia and all division. For jobs, homes and services; against war. 

I am a Maths Lecturer & H&S rep at South Devon College. Previously, I was a Maths Instructor at a privately-run ACE provider, where I led a successful campaign to win union recognition. 

I am not part of any faction in UCU, but I am a member of the Socialist Party. I want to work with all serious activists in our union to build a genuine, democratic, broad left. 

Please use 2nd and 3rd preference votes for other incumbent left NEC members to win the fighting, democratic leadership we need.