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We should remember that 95 per cent of lecturers' union Natfhe and 80 per cent of Association of University Teachers members voted in favour of forming the University and College Union. Members want a union to address the challenges of the next 20 years, not to reheat the divisions of the past (Letters, January 26).

Employers and the Government are already thinking way ahead on a local, national and international level. In this fast-changing environment the UCU's mission is to protect members and champion academic values. We should be proud of what we did in the AUT and Natfhe and lift our heads a little and focus on a shared future. There is no "them" and "us", there is just "us"; and a concentration on professional excellence, academic freedom and improved working conditions is what will ensure the UCU's relevance to this and future generations.

Sally Hunt.
UCU joint general secretary