Congratulations to our new CWU graduates

Education October 22 2018

“Well done and the warmest for all your hard work, you’re a credit to this union,” was general secretary Dave Ward’s message to a group of CWU reps who received their International Trade union Studies (ILTUS) degrees at the weekend.

Adam Alarakhia (Leicestershire Branch), Katie Dunning (West London Postal), Steve Phillips (Central Counties & Thames Valley), Lenny Crook and Denzil Beardford (North Lancs & Cumbria), Mark Walsh (Greater Merseyside Amal), Steve Glaysher (South East 5) have all spent the last few years studying at Ruskin College.

Through a combination of regular weekend sessions at the Oxford college, and home study, the seven have each produced their own ‘dissertation’ – a 10,000-word piece of original work on a related specific topic of their choosing – and are all now officially ‘Bachelor of Arts’ in their subject.

“It’s fantastic that this group of CWU reps and activists – some of whom left school with no qualifications – have now attained full university degrees,” said Dave, “and we’re all extremely proud of them.

“The self-discipline, determination and sheer hard work they’ve all shown is a credit to them and to their union – and it’s also a credit to this union that the CWU supported and funded their study.

“Congratulations to you all – and we look forward to you all using the new skills you’ve gained for the collective benefit of the members we all represent.”

CWU head of education & training Trish Lavelle added her praise to the group, highlighting the “very demanding programme of study which they have had to combine with the demands of work, trade union work, political activism and family life.

“Their achievement represents the very best traditions in working-class education and we congratulate them,” she added.

“This union has a very strong tradition of supporting and sponsoring education of our activists to degree level and we do this because we firmly believe that the ideas, energy and leadership that will support a new generation of trade union and political renewal need people who have both the practical experience and the theoretical understanding of the world that we inhabit and who will be well placed to find and deliver solutions to inequality, oppression, exploitation and injustice.”

• The latest edition of our reps’ magazine Frontline features comments and reactions from our new graduate reps