1. Solidarity with other UCU branches
Brighton strike to defend IT jobs
Members at University of Brighton are taking strike action next week 8-12 February over plans to make IT staff compulsorily redundant. Please tweet support to #SaveBrightonITstaff.
To make donations to their strike fund please use:
UCU Brighton University SO224
Sort code: 608301
Ac. no. 40000280
Stop job cuts at University of Leeds: sign the petition
The University of Leeds is proposing job cuts in medicine and biological sciences. The university refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies, reports an operating surplus of 38 million pounds and has failed to provide any financial rationale for the cuts.
Please sign their petition to stop job cuts here.
University of Liverpool threat to jobs and Covid research
University of Liverpool UCU branch is consulting members over potential industrial action to stop plans to sack 47 staff from health and life sciences. The cuts are impacting a faculty that is part of Liverpool STOP COVID, a city-wide group whose aim is to decrease the burden of the pandemic locally, nationally and globally. You can read more about their dispute here.
Defending jobs at University of Central Lancashire
The UCU branch at the University of Central Lancashire is resisting compulsory redundancies, has lodged a dispute and an industrial action ballot opens next week ballot. We will send them a message of solidarity from the branch.
Save London weighting – proposed cuts to teaching grant in London
The Westminster government has recently announced cuts to the teaching grant in London and the removal of London weighting for institutions in the capital. UCU are campaigning against the decision
2. Primary School Closures
Powys County Council is proposing to close a number of primary schools, including Churchstoke Community Primary School, which serves a small village in North Wales, near the border. The alternatives schools are mainly in England, meaning the pupils won’t be learning Welsh. Please support the campaign to keep the school open. You can sign their petition here.
We need more schools with fewer pupils and not fewer schools with more pupils!
3. Petition: Protect our news media from monopoly control
A free, diverse and independent media is vital to the functioning of any democratic society. But the British media landscape is increasingly dominated by a small number of corporations and very wealthy individuals.
The Project for Peace & Justice, founded by Jeremy Corbyn and recently launched, is calling on Parliament to establish a new independent commission into broadcasting standards. You can support this petition here.
4. Key Workers Pay Rise
Throughout the pandemic key workers have risked their lives to take care of us. But despite this they get paid 8% less than the average workers. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is asking us to show support by joining the key workers campaign to win a pay rise and sign their petition here.