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The University and College Union ballot rightly identifies redundancy as the primary threat facing academic staff and points to increased workload and harm to quality as the sure consequences. And yet that embarrassing 8 per cent pay demand is still hanging around like some drunken ex who turns up to a party when you thought you'd dumped her. Anyone who holds their own bank account can see that pay increases will have to be traded for job security; no one I've spoken to denies that. To ensure the strong support the UCU ballot deserves, it is essential that the 8 per cent demand be formally dropped. We need to show that we want to co-operate and that only colleagues' jobs matter now.

Greg Garrard, Senior teaching fellow and UCU co-chair, Bath Spa University.