Uni + HE strike on Tuesday 7th March

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Caiman del Barrio

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Feb 26 2006 22:49

OK I've decided to quit procrastinating and actually be of some use to the movement so I'm wondering what ideas people had for this?? Specifically in reference to Goldsmiths students obviously but I'm interested to hear suggestions from other people.

I was marginally involved in some actions on campus at my then local uni during the AUT strike against higher tuition fees (whenever that was), but now I'm slightly more comfortable with taking the intiative. As concerns Goldsmiths, I'm thinking maybe emailing the Peace Campaign, seeing if they wanna get involved (they do CAAT and UAF stuff after all). Failing that, the SU?? Or is that just unrealistic...I know sweet fuckall about them.

Admin - main strike thread here: http://libcom.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8222

ftony

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Feb 27 2006 09:55

from my experience of SUs (was an officer at one for 2 years), they tend to be afraid to act as a body. it's worth speaking to people on an individual basis though. alas, it might also be worth speaking to the SWPers because they tend to have their fingers in a lot of pots (that's what i'm gonna do at queen mary's embarrassed )

i'm prob just going to get out there, perhaps with a thermos of coffee and some biscuits, and keep it real in da hood.

there's not a lot the mass of students will do- they tend to be afraid of the whole workplace activism thing from my experience

ftony

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Feb 27 2006 10:04

haharrrrr

just read the organise thread.

i very much like the 'lecture cancelled' signs- especially if they're for lecturers who aren't striking 8)

maybe i was a little pessimistic. it might be an idea to make some leaflets for the students telling them about the strike and then perhaps encouraging them to go to the pickets and say hi.

bleughhh occupations. yuck.

fun, but yuck anyway.

maybe people could D-lock themselves to the VC grin

Jim Clarke

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Feb 27 2006 19:37

The president of ULU and the editor of London Students are both trots from Goldsmiths (not there at the moment though), they're both really sound personally but there politics are very SWP, I'll give them a call and see what they're doing and if they know what's going on at Goldsmiths.

Caiman del Barrio

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Feb 27 2006 19:59

Jimmer - that sounds cool but surely it's not strictly necessary?? If they're otherwise engaged (haha), surely it just needs a handful of people on campus on the day??

Jim Clarke

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Feb 27 2006 20:54

Doing what though?

We need to get in touch with the people that are striking I'm not sure all the lecturers will be, and I don't really go in enough to know anyway, they will know who the main union organisers are in college and what's currently planned which should make trying to support the strike with limited numbers and not very good connections a whole lot easier, and if we can pull something off now, it could help improve student - lecturer links and make doing something easier next time...

Ramona

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Feb 28 2006 10:48

I very much doubt the students union will be doing much - if anything - about this. It's election time after all, and they wouldn't want to look like they were actually political or anything.

Caiman del Barrio

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Feb 28 2006 15:37

I'm getting in touch with GAUT about it.

http://www.gold.ac.uk/aut/zofficers.html

Which one do I email? One of them is in fact my personal tutor...

I had in mind a poster campaign, both urging students to support the strike with non-attendance (hah!) and also specific posters outside lecture halls and buildings saying the college has shut down. If we're feeling really adventurous, we could produce a leaflet. Anything else, we should probably let GAUT take the lead.

Steven.

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Mar 1 2006 00:36

Alan_is_Fucking_Dead wrote:

Anything else, we should probably let GAUT take the lead.

Well, you could try and find who any militants or activists are, if there are any who aren't union bureacratic types.

#10

Jim Clarke

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Mar 1 2006 01:43

One of the candidates for campaigns and communications officers in the SU elections said that if they were elected they'd organise an anti-strike campaign the next time the AUT tried to strike. Who can guess which candidate it was:

http://www.gcsu.org.uk/main/Democracy/positions/positions/manifesto

#11

Caiman del Barrio

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Mar 1 2006 14:52

As concerns getting in touch with GAUT, I'm pretty new to these parts so I lack the know how as to finding "militants". Like I said, my personal tutor's involved and I get the feeling he's quite far over to the left but I'm reluctant to put him in an awkward position, since surely he shouldn't be encouraging me to participate in those kinda activities?? Ah whatever, I need to quit procrastinating, I have an essay to write so this needs to get done. Is anyone else up for doing things on the day?? Otherwise I won't bother. I also think it would be good to stick some posters up round college over the next couple of days urging students to support the strike. Shouldn't take very long, perhaps two one hour sessions a couple of days apart. Jimmer if you're a politics student, you have till the end of term to do your essays so you can spare the time. tongue

Jimmer - which one is it?? I read all their manifestos and they all seemed like standard liberal wishy washy types (the last one seems a little soft Trot).

#12

Steven.

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Mar 1 2006 15:06

Alan_is_Fucking_Dead wrote:

As concerns getting in touch with GAUT, I'm pretty new to these parts so I lack the know how as to finding "militants".

The picket lines should be a good place...

#13

Ramona

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Mar 1 2006 15:06

Which one Jimmer? Please don't tell me it was Gemma - she's a really good mate and I love her and I'd hate to have to hate her eek

#14

Caiman del Barrio

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Mar 1 2006 15:17

John. wrote:

Alan_is_Fucking_Dead wrote:

As concerns getting in touch with GAUT, I'm pretty new to these parts so I lack the know how as to finding "militants".

The picket lines should be a good place...

Pithy.

I was meaning before the day itself, a bit of preparation wouldn't go amiss.

#15

Jim Clarke

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Mar 1 2006 15:32

zobag wrote:

Which one Jimmer? Please don't tell me it was Gemma - she's a really good mate and I love her and I'd hate to have to hate her

You mates with her? It was Martin, so I will be voting for Alex, as he's sound.

#16

Caiman del Barrio

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Mar 1 2006 16:45

But Martin's "for peace and socialism"!! Wanker!!

Am I gonna be doing this on my own then btw??

#17

Caiman del Barrio

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Mar 1 2006 17:21

I've emailed my tutor on a hunch, since emailing the entire executive doesn't seem to work.

I've also written an A4 poster calling on students to support the strike. I wrote it quickly and it's only a draft, but be gentle with the inevitable criticisms:

STUDENTS

SUPPORT THE LECTURERS’ STRIKE ON TUESDAY

ON TUESDAY, THE AUT AND NATFHE ARE STRIKING IN ORDER TO DEMAND THEIR PROMISED AMOUNT OF THE NEW TOP UP TUITION FEES. THIS ISSUE AFFECTS ALL OF US, STUDENTS AND LECTURERS.

WHEN TOP UP FEES WERE THRUST ON US IN 2004, LECTURERS WERE PLEDGED 30% OF THE EXTRA FUNDS BY THE GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITY AUTHORITIES. HOWEVER, NOW THEY’RE TRYING TO WEASLE OUT OF THAT COMMITMENT (CHECK www.aut.org.uk FOR MORE).

IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE CALL OUT THE UNIVERSITY AUTHORITIES AND MAKE SURE THEY KEEP THEIR PROMISES. TODAY THEY’RE DENYING LECTURERS A PAY RISE, TOMORROW IT COULD BE US STUDENTS WHO ARE BEING DENIED FUNDS – FUNDS FOR A GYM, MORE LIBRARY BOOKS AND WHATEVER ELSE.

MOREOVER, IT’S NOT UNFAIR TO DEMAND THAT THE EXTRA MONEY COMING INTO THE UNI SHOULD BE PUT INTO ITS EDUCATION. WE STAND TO BENEFIT FROM THIS AS MUCH AS THE LECTURERS DO.

AND IF LECTURERS KNOW THEY CAN RELY ON STUDENTS’ SUPPORT, THEN WE CAN DEMAND THEIR SUPPORT NEXT TIME WE HAVE AN ISSUE WE NEED TO ACT ON. WHICH IS WHY I SAY:

SUPPORT THE STRIKE – SKIP CLASS ON TUESDAY

#18

Jim Clarke

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Mar 1 2006 17:50

Alan_is_Fucking_Dead wrote:

But Martin's "for peace and socialism"!! Wanker!!
Am I gonna be doing this on my own then btw??

Politically he's very confused, he was on my floor in halls in the first year (he's still got my pamphlet about Che Guevera, cunt!) he's your typical manic's fan/goth. He made this comment in a seminar with my g/f yesterday, so she shouted at him...

grin

#19

Jim Clarke

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Mar 1 2006 17:51

Alan_is_Fucking_Dead wrote:

Am I gonna be doing this on my own then btw??

Oh yeah, I'll try and help out, but my essays are due in on the 17th and I need to get a fair bit done, and I don't have college on Tuesdays anyway...

#20

Caiman del Barrio

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Mar 1 2006 18:55

jimmer wrote:

Alan_is_Fucking_Dead wrote:

Am I gonna be doing this on my own then btw??

Oh yeah, I'll try and help out, but my essays are due in on the 17th and I need to get a fair bit done

I have an essay in for Monday too. How about this, just one postering session round college on Friday or Monday (or both), and then some support for the pickets on Tuesday?? I'll see what my tutor says as to what they might like us to do.

#21

Caiman del Barrio

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Mar 3 2006 11:50

Just to update this for Goldsmiths students and anyone who maybe in New Cross/north Lewisham area on Tuesday, we're meeting outside Goldsmiths' main entrance (with the GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON sign, opposite Viva Zapata) at 9.50am this Tuesday (7th) in order to leaflet students arriving into class and then take it from there. Thermoses, biscuits, and anything else you might think people standing in the cold all day might appreciate are welcomed.

Jason I'll PM you my mobile number. Anyone else who plans on coming down get in touch and I'll do the same.

#22

ftony

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Mar 3 2006 17:11

i'm baking fairy cakes.

in your faces goldsmiths scum, queen mary's is where it's at.

tongue

#23

Caiman del Barrio

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Mar 4 2006 16:44

I met a Queen Mary student last night. She was lame.

#24

ftony

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Mar 6 2006 12:01

yeah, like whatEVER!

hehe, i've just made a fake memo from the principal to put up around uni black bloc

#25

Caiman del Barrio

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Mar 6 2006 15:20

ftony wrote:

hehe, i've just made a fake memo from the principal to put up around uni

Haha, incredible. What did it say??

#26

ftony

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Mar 6 2006 15:30

The Principal’s Office

C/o Finance Department

Queen Mary, University of London

Mile End Road

London E1 4NS

6th March 2006

FAO all staff and students,

Re. Strike, Tuesday 7th March.

We regret to announce that due to the interests of big business the economic and academic welfare of staff and students at the college has hereby been cancelled. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause such as job insecurity, danger of falling levels of academic rigour in teaching and research, rising levels of student debt, increasing involvement of business in academia, pensions crises and other minor issues.

If you wish to make any comments on this issue the Principal is happy to talk between 3.24am and 3.25am every sixth Sunday of the month. In the meanwhile, all staff and students are encouraged to continue their day-to-day activities, ignoring all picket lines and anything else that might make the college management look as bad as it really is.

Yours superficially,

The Management Team

it's got a QM letterhead on the real one too

grin grin grin grin grin

#27

jef costello

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Mar 6 2006 18:27

If you can produce official memos then some lecture cancelled notices, as mentioned above, might be useful.

#28

Jacques Roux

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Mar 6 2006 18:30

Hope u get better reactions than i do with ppl off my course:

Quote:

What a spam.
Anthropologists should know that this is another conspiracy theory by the teachers who will profit from another day off at the expense of the international students who pay so much tuition fees. The strike will not make a difference for a prat like [the director of the university] whose only motivation is of course money.

So no thanks and don't let me waste time again.

#29

JDMF

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Mar 6 2006 19:00

rkn wrote:

Hope u get better reactions than i do with ppl off my course:
Quote:

What a spam.
Anthropologists should know that this is another conspiracy theory by the teachers who will profit from another day off at the expense of the international students who pay so much tuition fees. The strike will not make a difference for a prat like [the director of the university] whose only motivation is of course money.

So no thanks and don't let me waste time again.

hey mate, this is understandable reaction from students, which is why we would need to stress the call for the unions to keep up the demands to scrap top up fees! (hence the line about the stolen cake in the leaflet)

#30

Jacques Roux

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Mar 6 2006 22:03

Not sure what to make of one lecturer's response:

Quote:

The lecture will be held, as I cannot see any point in disrupting your learning (I would merely have to reschedule the lecture, and I cannot see the point!). However I will be officially signing up to the strike and taking a cut in pay as a result of doing so.

#31

jef costello

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Mar 6 2006 22:56

that's bizarre.

My lecturer apologised for cancelling and said he would reschedule even though it was against the spirit of the strike.

Fuck international students, anyone who can afford the fees is fucking mad rich anyway.

ps rkn that person is obviously a cunt, get the picket to attack him or her.

Uni + HE strike on Tuesday 7th March

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