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We object to the assertion that the University and College Union "jeopardised its future industrial strength" by failing to support members at London Metropolitan University during their contract dispute. That dispute was one of the longest and hardest fought in lecturers' union Natfhe's history and ended in a win for the union in the shape of a negotiated contract.

Throughout the dispute, members at London Met received marvellous support from Natfhe officials. With their sustained support we took on arguably the most hostile of higher education employers and won. We fail to see how that has jeopardised our future industrial strength.

Contrary to the claim in the leaked paper, those members who have lodged claims to recover pay docked for action short of strike will have their individual costs covered by local branch funds and the national higher education committee has agreed that full support be given to test cases.

Greg Barnett and Cliff Snaith
UCU co-ordinating committee
London Metropolitan University