UCU NEC upholds Legal Opinon
This Friday (30th November 2007), the University and College Union (UCU) held its first NEC meeting since the Union accepted that an academic boycott was illegal.
Despite pressure from supporters of the boycott, the NEC upheld the decision to accept the internal legal opinion reached in late September 2007, and declined to seek alternative advice.
The NEC also rejected demands from pro-boycott activists to publish its legal advice in full.
The NEC did vote to host a week long tour of the UK by Palestinian trade unionists. However, this tour will not be tour the pro-boycotters had proposed. No votes will be taken and there will be no discussion of boycotts permitted. As such, the tour will be of limited importance.
A motion was carried to investigate changing the Union's Aims and Objectives. It remains unclear what these proposed changes are, or how they would impact on the boycott issue. The decision to make any such change can only be made by a two-thirds majority vote at UCU's annual Congress. It is hoped that any attempts to gerrymander UCU's own rules in a way that could that could imperil the Union will fail, and that wiser voices will prevail. The Stop the Boycott campaign will remain vigilant.
Jeremy Newmark, Chief Executive of the JLC, speaking on behalf of the campaign said:
"The UCU NEC has now taken the only sensible decision open to it and confirmed that the proposed academic boycott of Israel by the UCU is dead. We remain alert to the activities of the pro-boycotters, such as the proposed changes in the Union's aims and objectives and will ensure that the UCU leadership are aware of the dangers of going down this route. Whichever way you look at it, this is a major defeat for pro-boycott movement, both in the UK and on a global basis."
Lorna Fitzsimons, the Chief Executive of BICOM, added on behalf of the campaign:
"The academic boycott of Israel is off the agenda. This meeting of the UCU NEC further confirms this. This is a clear defeat for all those who wish to launch boycotts of Israel. We must not drop our guard as this would simply help the pro-boycotters."
