Staff Representative Council Boycott
You may have received emails urging you to stand and vote for the staff representative council. In fact, it is interesting how much publicity this is getting compared to the shambolic staff governor 'election' recently.
However, after much debate, both UCU and Unison at London Met have decided to urge members not to take part in this travesty. The Staff council will not be representative at all: it has been set up as a mechanism for excluding staff from having a significant voice in the running of the University. It provides a veneer of respectability for unprecedented moves to de-recognise UCU, to cut staff representation on the Board of Governors and the Academic Board (indeed, under the new proposals there could be no academics on the Academic Board). Almost every opportunity for staff input to University policy or procedure has now been abolished.
The Staff Council has been constructed in such a way that representation of certain groups is skewed. It is unclear whether it will be allowed to be critical of management or policy but it appears to have absolutely no decision-making powers. Since it has no formal role it will be easily ignored. Staff representatives will have absolutely no power to make an impact on any aspect of the University but may be asked to take impossible decisions (such as redundancies) for which they are not trained. This is dangerous for the individuals concerned and for the staff as a whole. Given the way management are trying to steam-roller through changes (like a possible move to Stratford) without consultation, we need more that a toothless council as a means of voicing our opinions.
If we participate, management will argue that we approve of the new arrangements and we will legitimate the silencing of staff voices in the University. Instead, we should express our outrage by boycotting the Staff Council and protesting against management's attempts to stifle debate.
If you have any questions, please ask one of your union reps or come to the all-members meeting on Wednesday 18th (1-2pm) at North Campus in BEL 1-03/04.