UCU sparks row with call to stop sending arms to Ukraine 29th May By Hamish Morrison @HMorrison97 Political Reporter
A TRADE union has been engulfed in a major row after members called on the Government to stop arming Ukraine.
Members of the University and Colleges Union (UCU), which has been holding its Congress at Glasgow's SEC, backed a motion accusing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of wanting the country to become an “armed, illiberal outpost of US imperialism”.
The motion, which also called on Russian troops to withdraw from Ukraine and noted Vladimir Putin’s troops had committed war crimes in the country, passed during the UCU congress on Saturday, May 27.
An amendment to tone down the motion, including deleting the comment about Zelenskyy and including a section calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict “based on freedom and independence for Ukraine” was defeated.
In response to the vote, many outraged UCU members took to social media to express their anger at the motion.
Dr Yuliya Yurchenko, of Greenwich University, tweeted: “To colleagues compelled (like me) to just leave the union: let's stay and fight this.
“We can't grant red-brown tankies (or managers hoping to weaken the union) the satisfaction nor the upper hand. They won't defeat us.”
Dr Anna Hájková, a historian at Warwick University, said members were considering leaving the union over the row.
She tweeted: “Many, many, many good members are leaving.
“I may leave, too, If I don't, it is not because I have any faith in the UCU, but because the alternative – neoliberal university management – is worse.”
The union leadership also appeared to be against the motion, which was put forward by its branches in Brighton University and City and Islington College.
Dr Jo Grady (above), the general secretary of the UCU, tweeted: “I didn’t agree with the motion that passed, and I know that neither do many UCU members.”
One supporter of the motion took to social media to defend it. Tomáš Tengely-Evans, a journalist with the Socialist Worker, said: “It’s not ‘anti-Ukraine’ to oppose both Russian imperialism and US imperialism – which the motion does. Ukraine is a battleground for Russia’s and the US’s rival interests.
“It’s not ‘self-indulgent’ for unions to take a principled stance against war and imperialism.”
A union spokesperson said: “UCU is utterly opposed to Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine and wants a peaceful solution that fully respects Ukraine’s right to self-determination.”Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/
General secretary Jo Grady outraged by this outbreak of democracy, planning to assert 'leadership' while debating the matter at an NEC meeting on June 16th:
This weekend a motion was passed at UCU Congress that has been used to attack the union and question our solidarity with the working class and people of Ukraine.
I was deeply disappointed the motion passed. As general secretary I am not entitled to vote in the democratic structures and processes of UCU, but if this were the case I would have voted against the motion, and joined the many who did. I am acutely aware that the passing of the motion at our Congress has caused a great deal of understandable upset and anger, and it sends the wrong message about our union. And I want to seek ways for UCU to put that right. It has also become a distraction from our industrial agenda at a critical time.
I know that some members are thinking about resigning from the union in response. This is the last thing you should do. Please do not leave, stay. It's with your help and engagement that we can ensure the UCU reflects the views of its members at every single level.
I know that some National Executive Committee (NEC) members are keen to ensure that this matter is debated at their next meeting on June 16. I'll be showing leadership at the NEC and I'm sure our elected officers and reps will too.
I also commit to working with the NEC to regain trust in a union that has - and under my watch will continue to - put meaningful international solidarity at the heart of what we do.
More on UCU: contrast what happened with the Scottish TUC Congress last month. There a terrible motion on Ukraine was submitted. The STUC leadership took responsibility, opposed it and put forward an alternative.
In UCU it was very different...
[Quote Tweet] Strong support for #Ukraine passes overwhelmingly at @ScottishTUC congress #STUC23, with General Council motion passed. Equivocating one falls.
As also shown at NEU conference, labour movt support for Ukraine. Let's continue to build and turn this into more active solidarity. twitter.com/UkraineSol/sta…
In UCU the National Executive passed a Ukraine solidarity motion to go to the Congress (which was passed, sadly alongside the STW one), as a result of an initiative by principled left-wingers on the NEC. But the top leadership took no interest in the question and said nothing.
They continued to say nothing while the principled internationalist left battled against Stop the War.
So not just in the sense that it's their union but in the sense that they did nothing about fighting this the UCU top leadership must take responsibility.
The first thing they should do is link up with us to promote the pro-active solidarity advocated in the NEC motion to Congress.
But they should also acknowledge they should have fought Stop the War.
The vote was 130-121. If they had fought it seems likely STW would have lost. Ukraine Solidarity Campaign
We should mention some of the comrades who fought on the UCU NEC and at the Congress for a principled left pro-Ukraine stance. Many comrades but particular mention to @zenscara, Liz Lawrence, @nat_tko and @drrhianelinor. (Vicky and Rhian currently sit on the NEC.) Also @leedsucu Vicky and Liz are both former Presidents of UCU (Vicky last year).
And we want to say which comrades led the internationalist fight:
We should mention some of the comrades who fought on the UCU NEC and at the Congress for a principled left pro-Ukraine stance. Many comrades but particular mention to @zenscara, Liz Lawrence, @nat_tko and @drrhianelinor. (Vicky and Rhian currently sit on the NEC.) Also @leedsucu
*****
Mason doing a hatchet job on the person who proposed the motion:
The speaker at @ucu conference who proposed the resolution against sending arms to Ukraine supports Socialist Appeal. Here's what they really think: 1/ Zelensky caused the war by listening too much to Ukrianian fascists... and it gets much worse ....
2/ Russia is certain to win. Because dialectics and the "superior general staff" (this from Clausewiczian genius Alan Woods who said the attack in Kyiv was a "feint" after it failed) ... and don't worry it gets worse than this.... · 28 May 3/ And of course Bucha was a propaganda job by Ukraine .... yes that's the people who chalked up victory at thr @ucu yesterday 👇🏽
4/ and they deliberately ignore the Genocide Convention criteria to state that the casualty numbers mean accusations of Russian genocide are wrong ... (ignoring intent, sexual violence etc)...
On April 2022 were salivating at the prospect of Russia encircling UA troops in Donbas...they're not salivating now ✊🏼🚩... and here's why their real position matters... 5/...
6/6 This is how it works: shill for the Kremlin, add some Marxoid claptrap for members of the cult, deny genocide...but for the @ucu delegates just wrap it all up in pacifism and "both sides" with a bit of anti-Israel stuff thrown in ... as below. It's a political technique that, if it was an academic paper, would get a fail. But a slim majority fell for it. Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/
A Win for Peace: UCU Opposes the War in Ukraine – Stop the War Statement 31 May 2023 • by Stop the War
Stop the War Coalition congratulates delegates at the University and College Union who voted through a resolution at their congress this weekend calling for peace in Ukraine. The resolution condemns the Russian invasion and points out that NATO’s escalation in response has turned Ukraine into a battleground between the great powers. It is the Ukrainian people who are the main victims.
The success of the resolution has sparked a debate within the union which we welcome as there is so little discussion allowed in this country on the war in Ukraine. We condemn attacks on the union by pro-war figures and the use of UCU social media accounts to criticise the vote. The democracy of the trade union movement should be defended by all.
Trade unions have a long history of opposing government involvement in foreign wars and campaigning against militarisation and increased arms spending. This tradition is especially important in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
We urge trade unionists across the movement to put similar resolutions to their branches. We are happy to provide speakers for any meeting.
The resolution passed at the UCU is as follows:
Stop the War in Ukraine – Peace Now. City and Islington College Camden Road, University of Brighton, Grand Parade.
Congress notes:
1. One year after the brutal invasion, Ukraine has become a battleground for Russian and US imperialism.
2. It is estimated that 150,000 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and 200,000 Russian soldiers have died since invasion.
3. Putin has threatened the use of nuclear weapons and unleashed war crimes.
4. The 2022 NATO summit committed to a US military base in Poland, a brigade in Romania, air missile systems in Italy and Germany and two additional F-35 squadrons in Britain.
5. Volodymyr Zelensky says he wants Ukraine to become a “big Israel”—an armed, illiberal outpost of US imperialism.
Congress believes:
a. Wars are fought by the poor and unemployed of one country killing and maiming the poor and unemployed of another.
b. We should say, “Russian troops out, no to NATO escalation and expansion.”
c. We should stand in solidarity with ordinary Ukrainians and demand an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.
d. NATO is not a progressive force: escalation risks widening war in the region.
e. Only through a peaceful resolution can lives be saved.
Resolves:
i. UCU to call upon Russian to withdraw its troops and for government to stop arming Ukraine.
ii. UCU to call for a peaceful resolution to the war.
Donald Trump, understood that the media were his enemy and he utilized this very clevery to his political advantage in the political game.
That vast swathes of the left, who mistakenly imagine they are far, far, cleverer than someone lik Trump, or the deplorables who votes for him... in contrast, seem to swallow the media campaigns that specifically target them, to a remarkable degree.
What they fail to understand, is that post Iraq and the infamously non-existant Weapons of Mass destruction, a decision was made by the West to never, ever, allow anything like the public opposition to the war to be repeated. This meant a complete clampdown on the news media and absoltute control over who was allowed access to it. For example, John Pilger had a critical column in the Daily Mirror, now he's been erased and cancelled.
That the left seem unaware that we now live in a form of dictatorship with a media that's under state control... well, it's rather sad, to put it mildly.
They aren't left, these "scandals" are show trials, letting bureaucratic, middle-class lackeys know the price for dissent.Clio the cat, ? July 1997 - 1 May 2016 Kira the cat, ? ? 2010 - 3 August 2018 Jasper the Ruffian cat ? ? ? - 4 November 2021
Pro-Ukraine letter being circulated for signatures
STW types will have to work hard to counter this if the talk of ppl leaving and social media backlash is true. Shows how much work there is to do to counter propaganda-fed citizens in this country. In the following, whenever they make braod claims about 'the people of Ukraine', remember to ask which people of Ukraine. They're certainly not standing in 'solidarity' with the Ukrainians of the Donbas region or other Russian-speaking areas, subjected to appalling abuses by the NATO-backed Kiev regime.
We write as UCU members to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine and to all who have been affected by Russia’s invasion. We organised around the National Executive Committee’s motion to UCU Congress (Solidarity with Ukraine: supporting education and humanitarian work) ahead of Congress 2023. Motion 6 was proposed as the basis for practical and meaningful solidarity work which can be supported by the vast majority of UCU members. It was passed overwhelmingly by Congress, and we believe it must be taken forward to deepen our understanding of Ukrainian perspectives and viewpoints. We are committed to developing this work as soon as possible.
UCU Congress also passed Motion 5 (Stop the war in Ukraine - peace now) by a majority of 9 votes. The vote means this motion is also the policy of Congress. We acknowledge and share the deep upset felt by many members about this. For some of our members this matter is very personal, with family and friends affected by the war. We know too that some members have decided to leave UCU over this. Please stay. We appeal to those who remain in UCU to commit with us to organising together democratically, to change UCU policy in future via our democratic processes, so that those who decided to leave may rejoin. The best way forward is to encourage learning and discussions within all UCU structures, in line with Motion 6, to inform democratic decision-making.
We all voted against Motion 5, but also advocated for Amendment 5A.1, submitted to Congress with the democratic agreement of Leeds UCU, to attempt to mitigate several concerns. These included proposed additions to centre solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and to defend self-determination. We also proposed deletion of one line containing a partial quote from Ukraine's President Zelensky with appended commentary regarding Israel. We are dismayed to hear reports that members, including from our Jewish community, have been subjected to abuse online for questioning the basis of this commentary. We believe that there is a political and ethical obligation to listen to people whose lives are directly impacted by the war, and for whom prejudice is a daily reality. We also wish to state that no UCU member should be subject to online abuse for how they voted in the Congress debate on Ukraine or for expressing their views in democratic debate. Unfortunately Amendment 5A.1 did not pass in Congress.
We recognise the right to criticise governments and military alliances such as NATO. We are not militarists, nor are we “pro-war”. However, we believe that to actively call for the disarming of the victims of imperialist aggression who are fighting for their existence as a people following invasion by another nation’s armed forces is to disregard the immediate threat that the people of Ukraine face and denies their right to defend themselves against Putin’s aggression. True solidarity requires us to centre the people of Ukraine, to foreground their right to self-determination. Any resolution to the war must be acceptable to them.
We commit ourselves to continue working within the union to develop awareness and understanding of the situation in Ukraine and to build practical and respectful solidarity work.
We invite all those who support the principles we set out here to sign this statement alongside us.
Vicky Blake (NEC, University of Leeds UCU), Lucy Burke (NEC, Manchester Metropolitan University UCU), John Fones (NEC, Bridgwater and Taunton College UCU), Rhian Elinor Keyse (NEC, Birkbeck UCU), Natalie Kopytko (University of Leeds UCU), Elizabeth Lawrence (Yorkshire and Humberside Retired Members Branch), Chloe Wallace (University of Leeds UCU)Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/
on May 31, 2023, 6:33 pm