College unions merge

The world's largest union for post-school academic and academic-related staff will be created this year following a merger vote last month.

Members of NATFHE - the University and College Lecturers' Union and of the Association of University Teachers (AUT) back proposals to create the new union, the University and College Union (UCU), which will have more than 110,000 members.

The merger was supported by 79.2% of AUT and 95.7% of NATFHE members.

UCU will represent further and higher education lecturers, managers, researchers and many academic-related staff such as librarians, administrators and computing professionals across the UK.

NATFHE and the AUT will amalgamate on 1 June 2006, and then enter a transitional year until full operational unity is achieved in June 2007.

During the transitional year, the general secretaries of the two unions will remain in post, managing the union's day-to-day business jointly. Elections will then be held for the post of general secretary of the new union to take up office on 1 June 2007.

Paul Mackney, NATFHE general secretary, and Sally Hunt, AUT general secretary welcomed the vote, saying the new union "will be a potent force for change in further and higher education. No longer will universities and colleges be able to divide our members over their pay and conditions.'

"Our priorities now will be to improve our members' salaries, end the scandal of pay discrimination on the grounds of gender and ethnicity and defend the core values of education such as academic freedom."

Merger vote

AUT

Yes: 14,047 (79.2%)

No: 3,691 (20.8%)

Turnout: 36.9%

NATFHE

Yes: 21,664 (95.7%)

No: 980 (4.3%)

Turnout 32.9%