Maxine Looby (Oldham College)

Woman

Election address

About Me

I am seeking election to the black members' seat of UCU NEC because as Branch Secretary at Oldham College.  I am an ESOL lecturer at Oldham College and a committed trade unionist, having represented members in various organisations throughout my career. I have first-hand personal and professional experience of how institutional inequalities affect progression and in turn marginalise individuals.

I challenge these injustices on a daily basis and represent members on a range of issues and concerns at disciplinary hearings, sickness reviews, dismissal appeals and redundancy meetings.

The challenges in FE and HE are great. Workloads are excessive, and morale is at an all time low.

I believe UCU's priorities should be:

Recruitment and Selection

Fair recruitment and selection supports a working environment that strives to provide access for all and demonstrates a commitment to delivering equality across grades, gender, race and ethnicity and disability. I will campaign for UCU to support reps to challenge senior management on current recruitment and selection policies and practices, request yearly data, including Equality Impact Assessment Reports, evidence of where posts are advertised, the rationale thereof and challenge internal nepotism where it rears its ugly head.  I will support reps and members to challenge cultural norms and practices and fight the injustice of inequality in all its forms.

The staff in our colleges and universities should reflect the diverse and rich communities we live, study and work in. Lip service to equality is not good enough.  If I am elected to the post of black members' representative, I will work to ensure this is national priority.

Health and Safety - Work overload and Stress

I will campaign to put workload stress firmly on UCU's agenda. Health and Safety legislation is our strongest tool.  We need to support our reps to challenge stress and workload using the full extent of the law.  We can work to achieve this by ensuring adequate and effective training is in place to support reps in carrying out the health and safety inspections and work towards having a mental health first aider in every establishment.

I am committed and passionate about challenging injustices as a UCU rep and work hard to empower members to do the same. Equality should be at the heart of all we say and do.  Factional and internal differences and opinions should not get in the way of us all working together to achieve our goals. The only approach is a collective approach. I call on UCU members to support me in bringing about effective and meaningful change that supports all we do, and all we want to achieve.

Please also vote:

Vice President: Adam Ozanne

Honorary Treasurer: Steve Sangwine

Visit http://ucuagenda.com/elections