Staff at Britain’s main higher education union have complained of a “culture of fear” in the workplace, with black staff claiming they are being victimized and discriminated against.
The Union of Universities (UCU), which represents its own staff, said disputes over pay, health and safety, union recognition and equality issues had reached a “crisis point”.
UCU staff who spoke times higher education Speaking on condition of anonymity, he expressed concern about the lack of racial diversity in union leadership, claiming that black employees are seen as “awkward and difficult” when speaking up.
One worker said racism, particularly the discrimination and victimization of black staff, was an “open secret” in the union, and black women in particular felt isolated and unwelcome.
Staff are frustrated that it took UCU bosses more than a year to act on equality concerns raised in the 2022 inquiry.
“The longer I was there, every time a black staff member stood up, [complains]they don’t last long in the organization,” said another employee.
“They have legitimate concerns…but there seems to be no appetite to address them.”
A UCU spokesperson acknowledged the research highlighted the work the union needs to do to ensure black staff feel included and supported in their roles.
“We look forward to working with Unite to continue our work to tackle workplace inequalities and ensure UCU is a welcoming and inclusive environment for all staff,” they added.
Meanwhile, the pay dispute continues, with Unite claiming senior executives are prioritizing their own pay over that of junior staff. One staff member said this raised questions about whether the university, which is embroiled in a long-running pay dispute with vice-chancellors, was upholding its principles.
A UCU spokesperson said the union wanted to conclude the 2023-24 pay award as soon as possible, but Unite no longer had confidence in the employer’s efforts to reach a compromise and the dispute He said he plans to escalate the situation.
One employee said: “There is currently a culture of fear and anxiety in the workplace as the employer appears unwilling to listen to the concerns of its employees.”
“It’s been going on for far too long, the problems are wide-ranging, and there’s an atmosphere of dysfunction.”
As for general secretary Jo Grady, who is up for re-election, UCU officials said: “Her responsibilities are beyond our control.”
“Joe certainly has a lot of responsibility, but some of the people she has appointed in senior management are also doing a terrible job, in my view, and don’t know how to run things properly.” said one person.
“It really reeks of hypocrisy that we are all expected to go to university and advocate for health and safety, equality and fair pay,” said another.
“It’s really tough that that’s not happening in our workplaces.”
A Unite branch spokesperson said the university had ignored the union’s values of equality and solidarity in the treatment of staff.
“Union employers should pioneer progressive practices in the workplace and equality should be at the heart of everything we do,” they said.
“It is therefore shameful that our members feel let down by their employers. Our members are angry, stressed and scared.”