Combined union lists big winner in Works Council elections
The combined union list for the trade union FNV-AOb is the big winner of the Works Council elections held at four faculties this year. The list De Amsterdamse Academie (DAA) posted a significant loss, but is the largest party after the union lists. Newcomers are the action group Casual UvA and the PhD-list.
With the combined lists at the Faculty of Science (FNWI) and the Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences (FMG), the union lists AOb and trade union FNV have become by far the largest party in the Works Councils following the elections held between April 8th and 12th. It is solely based on the combined list that the parties made gains, as the share of seats for union lists this year is 24 seats, whereas last year it was 23. Comparing those years is difficult because this year the composition of faculties where Works Council elections were held was different from last year.
Turnout
A newcomer this year was the subcommittee of the Amsterdam University College (AUC), where the turnout at 80 percent was equally unprecedented. But with AUC’s relatively small staff of about one hundred people, it may have been a lot easier to get employees to the ballot box than at other – much larger – faculties. At the other faculties, the turnout was similar to previous years: 50% (FMG) and 30% (FNWI).
At the Faculty of Humanities (FGw), where in earlier years employees could choose between the list of DAA and the union lists, the playing field has opened up. Both union lists there had to give up a substantial number of seats in favor of the free lists. DAA also ceded one seat, not because of a lack of votes but because of a lack of candidates. So the additional seat fell to Zamira Xhaferri’s list. The PhD-list, with 25 votes, narrowly fell short of a seat.
Casual UvA
Also for the first time, the action group Casual UvA is represented with three seats in the Workers Council of the Faculty of Humanities (FGw). Members from the action group were previously represented in the FGw’s Works Council, but are now joining forces in a separate list. Among other things, the Casual UvA party advocates for permanent contracts and structural work at the UvA and the democratization of decision-making at the FGw.
At the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, the FNV-AOb combined list changes little in the Works Council and the DAA retains its position with four seats. Turnout at the ballot box was a bit higher than normal at 55.6 percent.
PhD-list makes its debut
At the Faculty of Science (FNWI) by contrast, enthusiasm for the union lists grew substantially, with DAA losing four seats. The list Docenten4Docenten, the list that first entered the Works Council last year with two seats, strengthened its position: plus one seat. The PhD-list made its debut at the FNWI with as many as two seats, but due to a lack of candidates had to cede one of them to the union list AOb.
Too few candidates
As in previous years, this year again there were far too few UvA staff members who felt like getting involved in works council work for the next three years. As a result, there was no need to hold elections at several faculties and departments: all candidates were automatically appointed. These include the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Economics and Business, dental faculty Acta and the Joint UvA Services (GOR). The Amsterdam UMC organizes its own works council elections.
