Strode College staff unions were joined by students and had a very successful day raising awareness of the issues and recruiting new members. They gathered over 400 signatures.

Report from Duncan Cameron, UCU Branch Chair, Strode College:

“A really well supported Day of Action at Strode College in Somerset. UCU members stood alongside other staff and students to protest against government cuts to the FE sector with 400+ signing the petition. A positive and animated day of solidarity and raising awareness in difficult times.”

Continue reading Solidarity at Strode College

Report in from Marie Morley, Bath UCU president:

‘We had a table on the Parade just outside the library.

I personally invited by email this morning the VC, Deputy VC, Pro-VC learning and teaching, Pro VC research and the University Secretary to sign the petition.  The VC was one of the first to do so when we opened for business.  She was shortly followed by the rest of the team.  This allowed us to approach various Directors and Deans as we had her blessing.  In all, we collected 291 signatures.

The University photographer took some great shots of us (in our defend education tee shirts) holding up our new banner.  We also had the Bath Chronicle up to take pictures.

It was a joint campus Union effort … and had some members turn up and help collect signatures.  I felt it was a great success and we handed out a number of application forms too.

So whilst it wasn’t a samba band and barbecue (we’re planning that for next time), for the University of Bath it was a real achievement.

Action at the University of the West of England included formal presentation of the petition to VC and one of governors. There was a barbecue, samba band. It was great fun. Couple of hundred turned out from UCU, UNISON, Unite and a few students. Not bad for this time of year.

Continue reading Unity at UWE

Photos in from South Thames College which held a joint Unison-UCU lunchtime protest.

This was their press release:

South Thames College (STC) Unions will be joining a nationwide protest against cutbacks in education on Monday 21^st June. UCU, UNISON and other unions will be leafleting outside the Wandsworth Campus, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PP between 12 noon and 2.00pm.

The protests have been organised in advance of Budget Day. Colleges and Universities throughout the country are calling on college and university leaders to unite with the unions in lobbying the government against cutbacks. 70% of FE colleges are planning to close courses. £200 million has been cut from adult learning budgets, and a further £300 million cuts are expected.

Chris Schramm, Chair of South Thames College UCU Branch stated ‘It is disgraceful that we have 1 million 16-25 year olds who are unemployed and not in education or training while education is being cut together with other public services in order to pay for an economic crisis which is not of our making’

‘We are urging people to show their support for our campaign and to sign our petition calling on the government to stop the cuts’.

Sounds like a great event in Barnsley:

“Around 30 people, UCU and UNISON members from Barnsley College and Huddersfield University in the main, but with support from college students and Barnsley Trades Council, gathered in Mandela Gardens in the centre of Barnsley this dinnertime to protest against cuts in education.

We gave out hundreds of leaflets and had speeches from union representatives and students with a big crowd gathering round to listen.”

First report on the day’s action come from Oxford and Cherwell Valley College:

“The protest took place on two of the Oxford and Cherwell Valley College sites

On the main gates at Oxford we had about 50 UCU members with some student support for a 30 minute demonstration.

The local BBC television attended and filmed Alan Whitaker – National President of UCU

Local press also attended

One of the Local Conservative MPs sent her best wishes and wished that she had been able to attend.

We think that she misread the email sent to her.”