UCU president urges TUC to back UCU privatisation fight

Speaking on a UCU motion in the education debate, the president said unity across the trade union movement was needed to defeat privatisation, which she described as the 'greatest single threat to public services'.

Linda Newman said: 'UCU seeks your active support to defend our universities and colleges from those who see them as nothing more than an opportunity to turn a profit. We are facing attacks on the curriculum, the very core of the education system.

'The vultures are now circling further and higher education. These companies have no commitment to education. All they see is profit and the result is job losses, pay cuts and worse conditions for our members together with lower academic standards.

'The time has come for a joint approach across the whole movement. We are calling for a moratorium on all further PFI-style initiatives until the true impact of such initiatives both in the UK and abroad are fully evaluated. There is a wealth of experience and expertise in this room and in our movement and we must work together.

'We are calling on the TUC to pool this huge resource in the interests of all unions, to conduct research into the record of private companies across the public sector. The experience of our united movement will make us stronger in our fight against privatisation.'