Brighton

Higher education is going through significant transformations on an international, or at least European, level. The UK is not immune to these changes. Whilst there have been various small protests in places around the country to resist these changes, no major local campaign has existed as of yet. Sussex not 4 Sale was born out of this context.

The striking bin staff had been complaining about management bullying after staff refused to double their workload due to lack of vehicles and under-staffing. As part of what workers called management's "bully tactics", four refuse workers had been moved onto different crews sparking anger amongst the depot and leading to the wildcat action.

Staff at the Hollingdean Depot downed tools on Wednesday morning in retaliation to having tightly-knit crews broken up by managers. Four men have reportedly been moved from one lorry to another as management try to address the problem. Another worker said his cousin, who also works at the depot, had been "punished" for having time off sick by being put onto another shift.

Articles on privatisation, France in revolt and a local round-up.

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What are the issues behind this strike?

Since 9:30pm this evening, 80 students from the University of Sussex have occupied their library in support of the SortUSOut campaign, a campus wide campaign for better provision of welfare and education at the University of Sussex. Our focus is on local problems directly damaging the education of students at Sussex but also the wider issues around the commodification of higher education.

The 2005/6 academic year was definitely an interesting one for both students and staff at Sussex. The usual excessive drinking and falling over of freshers (which this writer was partial to) was also matched by an upsurge in political activity.

The slogan of the protest is "Free Education Not Business Incubation".

The students are protesting against the increasing involvement of private enterprise in universities. They call for a fully state funded higher education system without tuition fees and accessible to all by means of a grant students can live on.

We at libcom.org news spoke to one of the students taking part, and interviewed him about the students' last occupation of their library (pictured left) in March in protest against cuts.

What happened on the night of the occupation?

Below is the occupiers 'learn-in' manifesto and a few words by one of the participants. Please circulate this as widely as possible.

“Brighton’s first ever anti-deportation campaign, fought by Amir’s friends and supporters from grassroots groups!!! We did it!” - Friends of Amir

One in the eye for the Home Office last week as a swift intervention by Brighton campaigners prevented the deportation of an asylum seeker.