UCU
Why did we risk it all? Because we won't go down without a fight.
In August and September 2009, about 250 members of teaching staff at Tower Hamlets College went on strike over compulsory redundancies and cuts to course provision. Catalyst spoke to one of the strikers, Rachel, in the aftermath of the strike, about the up and downs of the battle against the bosses.
While the recent media spin is suggesting that we're 'on our way out of recession', the reality on the ground is that workers are still facing attacks across sectors in the forms of job cuts and community provisions.
An account of unofficial action at Tower Hamlets College
A short account by a participant of a staff rebellion in 2009 against an enforced training session, which helped build workers' collective confidence prior to a big strike.
Some local supporters witnessed an open air meeting of our union branch on Friday 3rd July where we had to take the decision of what to do on the Monday of the last week of work. Monday was not a strike day because it was planned as something more important.
Tower Hamlets College strikers interview
The Commune interviews two participants in the September 2009 ESOL teachers strike in East London against job cuts.
Tell us about what unions workers are in, their organising capacity, and of their previous relationship with management
Tower Hamlets College strike ends in partial victory
After a month-long strike against cuts, teaching staff at Tower Hamlets College have voted to return to work.
UCU said it was "delighted" that an agreement has finally been reached.
UCU head of further education Barry Lovejoy said: "Our members have fought a tremendous campaign and UCU is pleased to have finally reached an agreement with the college.
Tower Hamlets College strike continues into fourth week
ESOL teachers in east London continue their indefinite strike. A striker reports...
Teachers again affirmed support for continuing the indefinite strike action in a mass meeting Tuesday. About 150 people voted to stay out, with 13 abstentions and no votes against.
ESOL teachers on indefinite strike in Tower Hamlets
Over 250 UCU members at Tower Hamlets College are in day 10 of an indefinite strike against cuts.
The package of cuts includes:
1 - Cuts in courses, particularly English for Speakers of Other Languages courses (1000 places going).
2 - Over 30 teachers’ jobs lost, including 13 compulsory redundancies.
3 - Attempts to turn a community college into a business for selling diplomas.
Union busting at University of Westminster?
University of Westminster management have just offered academic staff a settlement on their framework agreement without the agreement of the UCU union. This means that academic staff are being offered quite large amounts to sign agreements by 26th June that will, in effect, undermine the role of the union...
To quote from a union memo the agreement will:
Queens University pushing for 150 redundancies
News emerged today of plans by Queens University in Belfast to make 150 members of academic staff redundant.
Just over a year after Queens University attempted to pursue compulsory redundancies for the first time in its history, plans are afoot to axe 150 academic jobs at the university.
University and college bosses plan job cuts in higher education
The University and Colleges Union has revealed that university and college bosses will not be making them any new pay offer and that many are seeking job cuts.
Following a meeting with Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) recently, the University and Colleges Union (UCU) and other trade unions were told that they would not be getting an initial pay offer and that jobs cuts could be expected across the higher education (HE) sector. Up to 100 HE institutions were making plans for collective redundancies
Unrest over academies expansion
As 70 failing schools join the 310 already on the list of schools which will be or already are now operating as academies, coalitions of parents in Brighton and Hove, Ipswich and Sheffield are challenging moves to switch them over.
In separate developments, privatisation moves in Goldsmiths College, London and Essex University are also being fought by staff and students, and sponsors of the Unity Academy – one of the early flagships of the initiative – have pulled out. The academy lost its primary backer, Amey, who deny financial pressures are behind their decision.
