Last week, I co-authored a statement with fellow NEC members to formally call for an independent investigation into structural racism in UCU, and to call for an urgent and specific formal meeting of the National Executive (NEC) before the next scheduled meeting on 15 March 2024. That statement is (here). We wrote it in consultation with the Black Members Standing Committee (BMSC) following receipt of their embargoed copy of a BMSC statement published on Friday 16 February in the Times Higher Education supplement (here, and a link to read it directly on the BMSC blog is here).

Over the weekend this NEC members’ statement was signed by more than 50% of the committee which means we met the threshold required under standing orders (here) for us to requisition a special meeting within three weeks of the receipt of such a request. We have now (on Monday 19 February) received a calling notice for such meeting which will take place on 12 March. We have also been invited to an NEC briefing on In our statement we have made very clear that we believe an independent review should be commissioned with full transparency and the agreement of the recognised staff union, Unite UCU (LE27) and the BMSC.

The BMSC statement announced the withdrawal of committee members from UCU activity until these issues are addressed. It follows another article published by in the Times Higher Education on Monday 12 February, which documented the lived experience of Black staff working for UCU, describing workplace racism and a culture of fear in UCU. That is available (here) and a web archive version can also be read (here). This piece follows a series of social media posts (on Twitter/X and other platforms) from the the recognised trade union branch for UCU staff (Unite LE27) which have detailed extensive concerns about workplace inequality and a delay in action following a “Listening Circles” exercise back in 2022.

Whoever succeeds in the current elections for General Secretary, Vice President, NEC and Trustees, it is absolutely imperative that we combat racism head on, within our union as well as our workplaces. The concerns raised by Black staff and Black members cannot be ignored or explained away, and cannot be resolved through statements alone. We need a serious, independent review and to listen and act, to engage in honest critical reflection to do the work, to make equality a practice in our union’s structures, communities, and workplaces.