universities
News and articles about work, policy and workers' and students' struggles in education around the world.
UNISON education workers accept pay offer
In a UNISON consultation, only four of fifty-three colleges reject 2% and 1% sequenced pay increases. Offer is "not quite bad enough," national officer comments.
Workers in England's further education and sixth form colleges have voted to accept the employers' 2007/8 pay offer.
UNISON's consultation with members saw 53 colleges respond, with only four rejecting the offer of a 2% rise from 1 August 2007 and a further 1% increase from 1 February 2008, applying to all salaries and allowances.
Danny Glover - lifelong activist
Lethal Weapon actor Danny Glover has a long history of radicalism, from the opposition to the Vietnam war, through to the Panthers, the Iraq war and anti-racism today.
Born in San Francisco to two postal workers and NAACP activists, Danny Glover went on to study at San Francisco State University where he participated in the longest student strike in US history.
Academics reject government anti-extremists plan
Lecturers have voted unanimously to boycott government plans to tackle 'extremism' on college campuses.
They had been asked to monitor and report suspicious behaviour amongst Muslim students but at the University and Colleges Union annual conference in Bournemouth, delegates rejected the move, saying it amounted to spying on students.
France: university strikes and occupations against Sarkozy
After the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as President of France there have been successive protests each night, mostly ending in confrontation with the police.
The has been a lot of unrest in France and yesterday; at an general meeting (AG) students at Tolbiac in Paris voted to go on strike and occupy the university. Some 700 of the campus's 10,000 students were present at the AG. It is being reported that some 500 students occupied the buildings overnight.
Updates on student struggle in Israel
A week following the previously reported protest, another student protest took a more incendiary turn, blocking streets, burning tires and attempt to block the highway, the latter successful for a longer period of time, though faced with tougher repression.
The protest disbanded in response to leaders' call, marking an increase in violence but a decrease in independence by student militants.
Student protest in Israel breaks out of police and leaders' control
Massive assembly evolves into street-blocking march, as students protest against tuition hikes.
The event began with a peaceful assembly at Museum Square in Tel Aviv, protesting plans for tuition hikes in Israeli public universities. The planned schedule included live performances by artists sympathetic to the cause, and speeches by various leftist politicians, celebrities and student leaders. Police claim that seeds of unrest could be sensed throughout.
Canada: Indefinite strike at Laval University
A total of 2000 university teachers have been on strike since the 14th of March after management refused to make concessions to their demands.
The strike concerns chargés de cours, who are teachers who are employed part-time to teach specific lessons. They are not permanent employees and are paid significantly less than permanent full-time teachers.
Sussex students occupy library
Students at the University of Sussex occupied their library overnight in support of the SortUSOut campaign and in solidarity with staff who had been on strike the previous day and begun a marking boycott. More information at libcom news
University of Manchester to axe 400 staff
Four hundred jobs are to go at the University of Manchester to clear a £30m debt, it has emerged.
The university admitted that it is looking to make voluntary redundancies to offset the debt, which was created by the merger between the Victoria Manchester University and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (Umist) in 2004.
There are no plans for compulsory job cuts.
Serbia: Student blockades spread
An update on the student protests in Belgrade from a participant.
At 19:00h tonight occupation of the Philosophical faculty has been declared. This is now second faculty that is being held by students, together with faculty of Architecture. The meeting was held with the minister of education yesterday, but his offer was rejected by the 600 students strong assembly at the Architecture faculty.
