Dr Rohit K Dasgupta (Loughborough University)

Election address

I am a senior lecturer in global communication and development at Loughborough University. I have been an active trade union member for the last seven years first for the GMB (where I continue to be a member and am an equality officer for my local branch) and then followed by UCU when I started my first job as an hourly paid lecturer. Branch activism and getting involved in students strikes first led me to get involved with wider trade union and labour organising.

I have organised strike action at my school and most recently successfully led campaigns in 2019 and 2020. As a queer migrant from India I am also particularly interested in migrant rights, LGBT rights and intersectional struggles. Outside academia I am involved with various campaigns against islamophobia, xenophobia and resisting surveillance of international staff and students.

I am also a Labour party activist and have been a Labour-Cooperative Party borough councillor since 2018 leading on our borough's community wealth building, social integration and equality strategies. Representing one of the most deprived boroughs in the country I know first hand how important having secure employment and employment rights is for everyone. I am driven to create workplaces that are free from racism, bullying, homophobia, ableism and harassment. Issues of pension, casualisation and equality are all connected. In recent years we have seen for example attacks on our BAME and trans colleagues. It is more important than ever as trade unionist we stand up to all forms of hate.

I have a track record of activism and action on various issues. I have been nationally involved in campaigns to support inclusive relationship and sex education, academic freedom on campuses and speaking against all forms of human rights abuse.

If elected on the NEC I promise to provide regular update to all members. I will organise nationally and regionally to tackle issues of casualisation and precarity, fight the hostile environment on our university campuses, combat the growing transphobia in our sector and tackle all forms of harassment and bullying. I will continue to strengthen our links with NUS and work on shared campaigns with our students.

I am standing for election as a member of the UCU Commons slate of candidates. For more information see www.UCUCommons.org