The Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) have agreed to form a new trade union to represent academic and related staff in universities and colleges in England and Wales.
In July 2004, the Association of University Teachers and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education agreed to begin detailed discussions on the creation of a single new trade union to represent academic and related staff in the further and higher education sectors in England and Wales.
The Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) have agreed to form a new trade union to represent academic and related staff in universities and colleges in England and Wales.
Senior representatives from both organisations met on 8 July 2004 'to explore the scope for achieving maximum unity between the two unions' in line with decisions made by the AUT’s council and NATFHE’s conference earlier in the year. It was decided to begin discussions with a view to 'creating a single new union'- terminology used by both parties in preference to 'merger'. Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), attended the meeting. He wished the process well and offered the support of the TUC if needed.
The two unions agreed to begin 'detailed joint work' immediately with the ultimate objective of creating a single new union representing academic and related staff in the further and higher education sectors. Initial proposals are due be put to the national executive committees of the two unions in October with firm proposals for the creation of the new union going to the AUT council and NATFHE conference in spring 2005. If those proposals are agreed, members would then be asked to agree formally to dissolve the current organisations and create the single new union.
AUT general secretary Sally Hunt and NATFHE general secretary Paul Mackney said in a joint statement: 'This is an extremely welcome and positive development for all our members. A single new union will be a powerful force in representing and promoting the interests of the profession throughout further and higher education. The creation of a new education union of over 100,000 members within a tight but realistic timescale is an ambitious and exciting undertaking, but both unions are fully committed to ensuring the success of the talks and we are confident of achieving our joint objective.'
The new union will for the first bring together staff from the 'old' and 'new' universities, as well as encompassing institutions in both the further and higher education sectors. The AUT currently represents 46,000 staff in the pre-1992 universities while NATFHE has 66,000 members in the post-1992 universities (formerly polytechnics) and in further education colleges.
The talks follow divergent approaches by the two organisations during pay negotiations earlier in the year. While the aim had been an agreement to cover all academic and related staff the higher education sector, the eventual outcome involved separate agreements for the pre- and post-1992 institutions. The proposed new union is likely to strengthen the case for the harmonisation of pay frameworks across the sector.
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Eurofound (2004), Single university and college lecturers’ union planned, article.
