Brighton SolFed

University workers in UNISON, UCU, Unite and EIS are on strike on Thursday, February 6th.

Workers in higher education are lucky to have students who are willing to support us when we’re on strike, and it would be pretty foolish not to welcome them on our picket lines.

The NUT and NASUWT unions in the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and the Eastern regions are on strike on Tuesday October 1.

The strikes are over pay, pensions, workload and conditions. If you live or work near a primary or secondary school do your best to show your solidarity.

PAY

Classroom assistants were out on strike on Tuesday 26th at Horizon and Downsview special schools in Hackney, over a regrading issue which would see low paid staff lose out by around £200 a month.
All the permanent classroom assistants were out on strike. Classroom assistants on probation and agency staff went in but held up messages of support at the windows.
The classroom assistants, who do a lot of the frontline work with special needs children, told us how they felt the management didn’t value their work or care about their wellbeing at all, even when they get hurt at work. They said they stayed in the job due to love of working with children, but they felt totally undervalued.

London Metropolitan University made the news worldwide last year when, due partly to their connections to the London School of Business and Finance, they were investigated by the UKBA and were prevented from recruiting international students.  (for details see Education Worker 9, London Met UNISON’s website or Andrew McGettigan) Now that the dust has settled from this scandal, London Met is again in the news, this time because it has suspended three of its workers, in very suspicious circumstances.

Following the largest demonstration yet on Thursday 28th Feb, exactly three weeks from the start of the ongoing Bramber House occupation, a second, temporary, occupation was made at the University of Sussex. This statement was read from the steps of the occupied BSMS building.

We, 200 students and staff of this university, have occupied the Michael Chowen lecture theatre.

This action is a response to a lack of alternatives within the current situation. Management still refuse to engage with our demands even as they attempt to placate us by feigning negotiation. So we reiterate that we will not compromise, and state them again:

TODAY - 1pm - Library Square

Over 90% of all facilities and services at Sussex University are being sold off to private companies; Management have for months ignored petitions, meetings and demonstrations of thousands of students, staff and lecturers opposing the plans.

Student at Sussex have occupied Bramber House Conference centre to force Management to listen to students and workers on campus, and take their opinions on this seriously. Stand up to management, stand up for Sussex!

Discontent has been brewing at Halesowen College, Birmingham, following the summary dismissal of no fewer than four Maths teachers in the last month, including Dave Muritu, the College’s UCU Branch Secretary. The College has seen pickets, lobbies and widespread condemnation for its persecution of teachers, seemingly solely for raising issues of genuine concern to do with their students’ educations.