Students plan fresh wave of mass protest

September 16, 2011 By 4 Comments

See the full Guardian report by clicking here.

Contact: 07964791663

 

This letter will be published in the Guardian tomorrow, 17/09/11

As student campaigners, we fully support the trade union movement’s campaign against austerity, including the biggest wave of strike action since 1926. The government’s plans for universities represent a threat to the very purpose of education, with the poor being priced out of a marketised system of private providers, while school and FE students are being robbed of basic support. The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts has now called a national education demonstration for Wednesday November 9th, and we will organise for a day of mass direct action and walkouts to coincide with the strike. We will not allow this government to abolish the welfare state and destroy our futures.

Michael Chessum, National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and NUS NEC

Maev McDaid, Liverpool Guild of Students President

Luke Durigan, UCL Union Education and Campaigns Officer

Daniel Lemberger-Cooper, Royal Holloway Students’ Union President, NCAFC National Committee

Claire Locke, London Met Students’ Union President

James Haywood, Goldsmith’s Students’ Union President

Edward Bauer, Birmingham Guild Education Officer and NCAFC National Committee

Sean Rillo Raczka, University of London Union Vice President

Alusine Alpha, Bradford Students’ Union Treasurer and NCAFC National Committee

Mike Williamson, Edinburgh Students’ Association Education Officer

Alan Bailey, NUS LGBT Officer (Open Place)

Matthew Bond, NUS Disabled Students’ Campaign and NEC and NCAFC National Committee

Alex Peters-Day, LSE Students’ Union General Secretary

Liam Turbett, Aiden Turner and Liam McCombes, Free Hetherington Glasgow Occupation

James McAsh, NCAFC National Committee, Edinburgh University

Shakira Akther, University of East London Vice President Campaigns

Gordon Maloney, NCAFC National Committee and NUS Scotland Executive

Bob Sutton, Liverpool Guild of Students Vice President and NCAFC National Committee

Aaron Peters, NCAFC National Committee

Claire Lister, NCAFC National Committee, Birmingham University

Alasdair Thompson, STUC Youth Committee and NCAFC National Committee

Alice Swift, NCAFC National Committee, Birmingham University

Arianna Tassinari, SOAS Students’ Union Co-President for Education and Welfare

Amena Amer, LSE Students’ Union Education Officer

Edward Maltby, NCAFC National Committee, London

Lukas Slothuus, LSE Students’ Union Welfare and Community Officer

Filed Under: Higher Education, international, Reports, Schools & FE, Student Unions, Trade Unions, Uncategorized

Students: Support the 30 November Strike!

September 16, 2011 By 2 Comments

Three million workers could strike on 30 November: students: take action in solidarity!

Facebook event here

The trade unions are moving towards a confrontation with the government over cuts to public sector pensions. Something like three quarters of a million teachers, lecturers and civil servants struck on 30 June (see here) for our solidarity at the time). Now the vast bulk of the public sector unions are going to ballot their members for strike action over pensions on 30 November – meaning that something like three million workers could strike. This is by the far the biggest challenge to the Tories? cuts program so far.

Already, members of the lecturers union UCU have voted for strike action (see here and here).

Students should support the public sector workers. Their fight is our fight. The Coalition is attacking pensions and slashing services for the same reason that it scrapped EMA and trebled tuition fees. It wants the majority of people in this country to pay for the crisis caused by the banks, so that the bosses and millionaires it serves can go on getting richer. (In the last two years the richest thousand people in Britain increased their wealth by £137 billion!) If the unions can beat the government on this it will be a huge blow to its whole agenda, and make all of us stronger to fight back.

The NCAFC is calling for students to make links with workers preparing to strike, to offer support and to prepare for our own action on the day: walk outs, demos and occupations. Taking action alongside the strikers is the best way to make solidarity. It also comes at the right time, three weeks after the national student demonstration on 9 November.

What you can do:

1. Make links between your anti-cuts group and student union and local union branches immediately. Offer you support in the run up to and on the day of the strike.

2. Pass a motion through your student union committing it to solidarity (a model motion will appear here shortly) and demanding that NUS also backs the strike.

3. If you’re a school or college student, walk out on 30 November! The walk outs over EMA last year had a huge impact. This time, with teachers on strike, we can have an even bigger effect, walking out to join the picket lines. If your school’s shut, join the teachers to demonstrate with them.

4. If you’re a university student, occupy! Get your occupation to issue a statement of solidarity with the strike.

5. Visit picket lines on the day. If you’re not in occupation, take part in the strikers’ demonstrations.

6. Link the struggles. Our fight is both about our own issues: fees, debt, grants/EMA, cuts to education ? and solidarity with the broader anti-cuts fightback, in the first instance the pensions battle. On 30 November we will be taking action both for own demands and in support of the strikers. Everything we put out publicly should make that clear.

If you want help, get in touch – email againstfeesandcuts@gmail.com or ring Ed Maltby from the NCAFC National Committee on 07775 763 750. Join the Facebook group for 30 November here.

Filed Under: Higher Education, Reports, Schools & FE, Student Unions, Trade Unions, Uncategorized

Reinstate Sue Caldwell!

February 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

Sue Caldwell, head of maths at Friern Barnet secondary school, has been suspended while she is investigated for allegedly having encouraged pupils to leave school on 24 November and join protests against education cuts. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Schools & FE, Trade Unions

London Transport RMT resolution in support of NCAFC

January 30, 2011 By 4 Comments

This resolution was passed unanimously by the London Transport Regional Council of the rail union RMT after the meeting was addressed by NCAFC supporter Luke Durigan. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Trade Unions, Uncategorized

Letter of Support from the NUT

January 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

NUT Support Letter

Filed Under: Documents, Higher Education, London, Schools & FE, Trade Unions Tagged With:

GMB press release in support of 29 January London demonstration

January 18, 2011 By 1 Comment

Another demonstration is being planned against the increase in student tuition fees, with organisers hoping that tens of thousands of people will take part in the protest in the new year. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Trade Unions

Trade union support for 29 January demonstrations

December 22, 2010 By 1 Comment

Trade union support for the student protests on 29 January, called by NCAFC and others including the Education Activist Network, is growing. [Read more...]

Filed Under: East, Events, London, North, Regions, South, Student Unions, Trade Unions

A tale of two demos – demonstrate in London OR Manchester, 29 January!

December 20, 2010 By 30 Comments

There has been some confusion in the student movement recently about the date 29 January. NCAFC is backing and helping to organise two mass student demonstrations against fees and cuts, one in London and one in Manchester. Here we explain why and advise activists on what to do on the day. [Read more...]

Filed Under: anti-cuts committees near you, East, Events, Higher Education, London, North, Regions, Reports, Schools & FE, South, Student Unions, Trade Unions

National demonstration – 29 January 2011, London

December 15, 2010 By 60 Comments

The first parliamentary vote might have gone through, but this is not the end! That is why, in the absence of action by NUS, the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts has called a second national demonstration in London, on Saturday 29 January. [Read more...]

Filed Under: East, Events, Finance, Government, Higher Education, international, London, North, Press, Regions, Reports, Schools & FE, South, Student Unions, Trade Unions

Real & Fake NCAFC events (and how to get our support for your demo)

December 12, 2010 By 13 Comments

We are living in exciting times!

Everyone at NCAFC is really happy about how much is going on and the amazing response we get from people all across the country. We are constantly bombarded with questions and affiliations and people wanting to organise local events.

As we understand that for some a quick supportive reply might suffice to get NCAFC’s support, it needs to be said that things are not that quick & easy.

There have been some “fake” NCAFC events going around Facebook and being Twittered about so here are our guidelines:

HOW TO KNOW IF IT IS A REAL NCAFC EVENT?

.

HOW TO GET NCAFC TO BACK YOUR EVENTS?

  • Send us an email to againstfeesandcuts@gmail.com with your personal information (name and university/school/city) and a brief description of the event (type of event/date/location).
  • We will discuss it and vote it through in a local or national NCAFC meeting, which will be open for you and anyone else to come along and pitch in.
  • We will keep in touch with you until the big day (Note: the bigger the event, the more involved we will get with details such as security, materials, stewards, etc)

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We hope this helps.

Don’t put yourself in danger – only attend events you know the organising body of. If in doubt contact organisers and ask them to explain what security measures have been taken. It is bad enough that the police is violent even after we meet with them, imagine how they can get if they know nothing about the demo you are thinking of attending.

Keep safe and… Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: Documents, Events, Higher Education, Schools & FE, Student Unions, Trade Unions Tagged With: , , ,
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