Lambeth UNISON branch official support

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Please read below the official communication sent today to NCAFC members and general public:

Hi Comrades,

Lambeth UNISON has voted to affiliate to the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts and work with NCAFC to fight for workers and students against government attacks on education. Lambeth UNSON represents support workers at Lambeth College, who are fighting alongside brothers and sisters in the UCU against a huge plan of job and course cuts.

We would like to work with you to launch a student and worker campaign at the college and discuss how we can build solidarity for other universities and colleges. Some of the ideas for joint work are listed below but we would welcome ideas for other initiatives.

  • Joint meetings at Lambeth College
  • Producing joint propaganda against fees and cuts
  • Contacting other trade union branches to encourage
    them to affiliate to NCAFC and fight together in colleges
    and universities

In Solidarity,

Ruth Cashman

Steward, West Norwood Library & Assistant Branch Secretary

Filed Under: London, Trade Unions Tagged With: , ,

RIGHT TO WORK officially endorses the Convention

January 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This weekend, as many as a thousand Trade Union, student and unemployed activists from all over the UK descended on Manchester for the second Right to Work conference. It was the largest gathering of its kind for as long as many attendees could remember. The session on education cuts drew some of the biggest crowds, and the conference was supported nationally by the UCU along with PCS, CWU, RMT, NUJ and NUT unions, Stop the War Coalition and Unite Against Fascism. The National Union of Students was conspicuous in its absence, but real student activists were there in numbers.

In all of the sessions relating to defending education against cuts, speakers repeatedly raised the need for national co-ordination. During the final session, the amendment ‘to support the National Convention Against Fees and Cuts’ was accepted without objection, and the conference voted overwhelmingly to pass its Statement of Intent. This can be viewed (in its original form without the amendment) here: http://sites.google.com/site/righttoworkconference/home/conference-2010

All of this bodes well for the National Convention, which is now under a week away. Email [email protected] for more information.

See the homepage of the Right to Work Conference here: http://sites.google.com/site/righttoworkconference/home

Filed Under: Reports Tagged With: , , ,

Support from Queen Mary’s Student Union!

January 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SUPPORT THE NATIONAL CONVENTION AGAINST FEES & CUTS
Passed by majority vote at QMSU Student Council, 26/01/10

This Union Notes:
1) That the government review of top-up fees is underway, and Lord Mandelson has announced £500,000,000 cuts to Higher Education (according to the Guardian).
2) That in February there will be a National Convention Against Fees & Cuts, currently supported by Reading, SOAS, Sussex and UCL students’ unions and NUS LGBT.
3) That this convention is intended to provide students and their unions with the information and practical skills required to fight fees and cuts.
4) QMSU recently made policy at a democratic EGM to adopt an anti-fees policy, and support endeavours to oppose fees.

This Union Believes:
1) That fees and cuts will be damaging both to students’ educations and staff job security, etc.
2) That this convention will put students in a stronger position to resist fee increases, course closures, cutbacks in welfare services, etc.
3) That we should therefore promote the event and facilitate student involvement.

This Union Resolves:
1) To officially support the National Convention Against Fees & Cuts, and to publish a short statement of our support on the union’s homepage.
2) To advertise the convention via means such as email, the website, and posters, and any other practical media. Such advertisement shall include a time and place for those attending to assemble, so that they can travel together and take advantage of group ticket discounts, etc.
3) To encourage members of Council and the Executive to attend.

Filed Under: London, Student Unions Tagged With: ,

Support from Leeds and King’s London

January 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Leeds University Against Cuts campaign and No Cuts at King’s! have both declared that they will be taking part in the Convention.

Read more about the campaigns against cuts at Leeds Uni here:

http://leedsuniversityagainstcuts.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=196024548728

and check out the No Cuts at Kings blog here:

http://nocutsatkings.blogspot.com/

Students and staff unite against cuts at Leeds

Filed Under: London, North Tagged With: , ,

Fighting Cuts at Leeds Uni

December 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

A Leeds uni student reports…

Leeds is facing more cuts than any university in the country. A core of students have a campaign well under way, and have been working closely with staff in the process. Progress is being made, and awareness on campus is growing. However, as we have 31,000 students, we need to get far more many people on board to be a body that will be listened to.

In response to rumours being circulated that staff were “recruiting students”, we organised an independent student protest in front of our student union in early November. This lead to getting 300 signatures on a petition that we handed in to the Vice-Chancellor alongside UCU, who handed in 1000 signatures. This was part of a combined protest of about 300 staff and students outside the University Council meeting to decide on cuts. Sadly they still did not listen, but this has only fuelled the campaign.

Immediately after this, Leeds University Against Cuts was formed. This is a group set up by students but is for everyone against cuts to get involved. We have run stalls outside the Union, got petitions signed, been vocal at Question and Answer sessions, and have emailed members of the University Council and the LUU (Leeds Uni Union) We have made visual demonstrations such as standing outside the student union, gagged, with a sign saying LUU speak for us, marched around campus with banners giving speeches, and organised protests. We have featured on student radio, TV and in the student newspaper. Next semester we will continue to have regular meetings take a motion to our Student Union to mandate their support, and actively support staff that go on strike – I believe the strength of Leeds campaign is strong ties with our UCU branch.

Now that the ball is rolling on the anti-cuts movement and structures are in place, the focus needs to be on getting more students involved. Increasing numbers are becoming aware of the threats that face them. The next step is getting them to do something about it.

More info at

http://www.facebook.co…m/group.php?gid=108319208229#/event.php?eid=189515608690&ref=mf

Filed Under: North, Reports Tagged With: ,