Tuesday 4 May 2010
Support UCU Day of Action against cuts!
Statement from UCU at University of Sussex:
Day of Action in Defence of Education
Wednesday 5th May – in Brighton
City College, University of Sussex, University of Brighton
Strike ; Demonstrate ; Rally!
On Wednesday 5th May thousands of lecturers in Further and Higher and Adult Education will be on strike. In London alone, there will be 11 FE colleges affected and three universities, Kings College, University College London (UCL) and Westminster. Here in Brighton, the lecturers and academic-related staff will be on strike at the University of Sussex. At the University of Brighton and in City College, staff and students will be demonstrating in defence of education.
Why is this happening? Higher education has been hit with a series of funding cuts that now total close to £1bn, while further education has been told to make savings of £340m in the next academic year. Funding cuts have now gone from tough words from party leaders for their sound-bites ahead of an election to the stark reality of people losing jobs, potential students
missing out on education, and existing students facing larger classes and less access to tutors and to services.
All of this, we must remember, is to pay for the deficits created by the bankers’ crisis, and for the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq, adventures to which the majority in the country is opposed.
Sally Hunt, the General Secretary of the lecturers’ union (the UCU), condemned the cuts: 'All the tough talk about cuts has moved on and it is no longer figures on paper, but people's jobs and access to education that are disappearing.
We believe in the power of education to make a real difference to peoples’ lives and do not think we should be slashing funding at a time when more people than ever need access to education.
UCU members are still on the side of education and they will be fighting to save jobs and defend education. That is why there is strike action on May 5th, on the eve of the General Election, and why the UCU is holding rallies and demonstrations up and down the country in defence of education.
To all students and staff at universities and colleges in the Sussex area and all local people and trade unionists who do not believe that education should be sacrificed for the bankers or for the cost of the wars...
JOIN US on WEDNESDAY MAY 5TH !
Visit the UCU picket lines at the University of Sussex at any time during the day of the 5th to bring solidarity greetings.
Join UCU members and students from City College, and the Universities of Brighton and Sussex, on the demonstration through Brighton (Wednesday afternoon, 5th May) at 4.30 from
The Level on the Lewes Road to The Old Ship Hotel on the seafront.
Whether you are staff or students, or a member of the public, come to the UCU rally in The Old Ship Hotel by Ship Street from 5.30 – 8.00pm, May 5th.
Chair: Jelena Timotijevic (UCU Brighton). Speakers to include: Alasdair Hunter (National President of the UCU); Paul Cecil and Jim Guild (Chair and Secretary of the UCU at the University of Sussex); Tom Wills (President) and Syed Bokhiri from the University of Sussex Students’ Union; members of the University of Brighton Students’ Union; Sue Tribe (Adult and Continuing Education, Brighton); Tom Hickey (University of Brighton and National Executive UCU); Micheal O’Connell and Alison Kelly (Brighton City College); Michael Moran (Regional Official, UCU); … and prospective Parliamentary candidates who have been invited to give their views on the education cuts!
For more information visit the campaign website at savesussexeducation.wordpress.com/
Day of Action in Defence of Education
Wednesday 5th May – in Brighton
City College, University of Sussex, University of Brighton
Strike ; Demonstrate ; Rally!
On Wednesday 5th May thousands of lecturers in Further and Higher and Adult Education will be on strike. In London alone, there will be 11 FE colleges affected and three universities, Kings College, University College London (UCL) and Westminster. Here in Brighton, the lecturers and academic-related staff will be on strike at the University of Sussex. At the University of Brighton and in City College, staff and students will be demonstrating in defence of education.
Why is this happening? Higher education has been hit with a series of funding cuts that now total close to £1bn, while further education has been told to make savings of £340m in the next academic year. Funding cuts have now gone from tough words from party leaders for their sound-bites ahead of an election to the stark reality of people losing jobs, potential students
missing out on education, and existing students facing larger classes and less access to tutors and to services.
All of this, we must remember, is to pay for the deficits created by the bankers’ crisis, and for the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq, adventures to which the majority in the country is opposed.
Sally Hunt, the General Secretary of the lecturers’ union (the UCU), condemned the cuts: 'All the tough talk about cuts has moved on and it is no longer figures on paper, but people's jobs and access to education that are disappearing.
We believe in the power of education to make a real difference to peoples’ lives and do not think we should be slashing funding at a time when more people than ever need access to education.
UCU members are still on the side of education and they will be fighting to save jobs and defend education. That is why there is strike action on May 5th, on the eve of the General Election, and why the UCU is holding rallies and demonstrations up and down the country in defence of education.
To all students and staff at universities and colleges in the Sussex area and all local people and trade unionists who do not believe that education should be sacrificed for the bankers or for the cost of the wars...
JOIN US on WEDNESDAY MAY 5TH !
Visit the UCU picket lines at the University of Sussex at any time during the day of the 5th to bring solidarity greetings.
Join UCU members and students from City College, and the Universities of Brighton and Sussex, on the demonstration through Brighton (Wednesday afternoon, 5th May) at 4.30 from
The Level on the Lewes Road to The Old Ship Hotel on the seafront.
Whether you are staff or students, or a member of the public, come to the UCU rally in The Old Ship Hotel by Ship Street from 5.30 – 8.00pm, May 5th.
Chair: Jelena Timotijevic (UCU Brighton). Speakers to include: Alasdair Hunter (National President of the UCU); Paul Cecil and Jim Guild (Chair and Secretary of the UCU at the University of Sussex); Tom Wills (President) and Syed Bokhiri from the University of Sussex Students’ Union; members of the University of Brighton Students’ Union; Sue Tribe (Adult and Continuing Education, Brighton); Tom Hickey (University of Brighton and National Executive UCU); Micheal O’Connell and Alison Kelly (Brighton City College); Michael Moran (Regional Official, UCU); … and prospective Parliamentary candidates who have been invited to give their views on the education cuts!
For more information visit the campaign website at savesussexeducation.wordpress.com/