Rethinking Growth: A new vision and solidarity at the ULA annual conference

The recent ULA Annual Conference brought together voices of our membership from across Scotland’s higher education sector, with guest speakers Allan Crosbie the EIS President, Dr Kai Heron of the degrowth movement and Naomi Mason from the Center for Local Economic Strategies (CLES).

The conference saw trade unionists, educators, and activists gather together to discuss new ideas and an EIS-ULA vision for a higher education sector, that is rooted in solidarity, sustainability, and social good.

“Degrowth”: Challenging the Growth Agenda

Dr Kai Heron opened conference with his keynote speech exploring the concept of “degrowth.” Degrowth, although the name suggests otherwise, is not an anti-progress movement, it is a critique of the capitalist obsession with expansion at any cost.

Dr Heron described it as “a sustainable anti-colonial and anti-imperial take on growth” that “prioritises the pursuit of human and non-human needs within environmental constructs”, things like education, community building and belonging and ecological preservation. The anti-colonial wing of this movement calls for reparations from the Global North to compensate for widening global inequality after decades of extracting resources and wealth from the Global South.

In the university sector, this mindset of endless growth has translated into ballooning student numbers, stripped-back course offerings, reintroduction of tuition fees in England and institutions that are run like businesses rather than centres of learning. This resonated around the room with members having their own experiences of cutbacks and university management’s prioritisation of profits.

Dr Heron urged conference to imagine a university system not driven by profit, but by community, education, and ecological balance. “We’ve decolonised the curriculum—now let’s degrow it,”

Education at the Ballot Box

Allan Crosbie, EIS president and speaking on behalf of the EIS teacher membership, echoed the need to realign educational priorities. He highlighted the Scottish Government’s contradictory stance promoting the fair work agenda, while failing to support striking members of FELA and ULA. Allan urged his lecturer colleagues to consider next year’s Scottish election “We must gear up for the next election and make education including HE a core issue at the ballot box”

The Business Section

Throughout the day a series of member led motions were discussed by conference delegates.

Motion 1 moved by Nick Cimini (Edinburgh Napier) addressed the ongoing crisis in HE. “Whether it’s Dundee, RGU or Agricultural college, HE is under attack.” Nick noted that while universities are largely to blame, successive governments have also failed HE and echoed Allans speech that education will be key at the ballot box next year.

Motion 2 was on looming redundancies and the need to build branch capacity, particularly in newer branches. Chris Yuill (RGU) highlighted the threat of increased casualisation and the erosion of job security.

Motion 3 on enhancement over growth was moved by Holly Patrick-Thomson incoming ULA president (Edinburgh Napier). She warned the prioritisation of profit making is overriding the educational aim of universities. “Everything is about numbers and cost,” she said, “Nothing is about learning.”

Motions 4, 5, and 6 collectively called for recognising education as a public good, protecting flexible working rights for staff, and confronting global wealth inequality, all while calling for better recruitment strategies for lecturers to join the trade union movement.

Motion 7 called for ULA to stop using X due to its association with far-right narratives. While some supported the motion on ethical grounds, others warned it could limit the union’s public reach. Members can follow the EIS Bluesky account for further social media coverage of ULA activity during the transition away from X – @eisunion.bsky.social

Motion 8 introduced by incoming Vice President Wojciech Kwiatkowski aimed to remove barriers for international staff joining unions. Supporting speakers shared personal experiences of fear and confusion around the UK’s trade union laws. There was an agreed need for clear communication to ensure all staff feel protected and welcome in union membership.

Emergency Motion: in support of staff and students at SRUC Elmwood

Conference condemned SRUC management’s intention to cease teaching animal care and dismantle provision at Elmwood Campus. Holly Patrick-Thomas moved the emergency motion arguing closures undermined rural education and local communities. “These cuts fly in the face of place-based education”. Damian Stantchev spoke in support of the motion saying, “These measures would have a very negative impact on the skills of this community”.

Building Community Wealth

The conference closed with a Q&A with Naomi Mason of CLES who introduced the idea of community wealth building. During the discussion, members reflected on notions of value and community wealth and how education can contribute to this.
Real value lies in collective wellbeing, not profit. In an HE sector dominated by growth metrics, delegates called for a return to purpose, placing people, not profit, at the heart of education.