Education round-up

Education workers vote for pay strike

University workers in the Unison union have voted for strikes over pay. They voted for strikes by 50.3 percent against bosses’ pay offer of 1 percent. Unison also demanded the living wage for all higher education workers.

The union’s higher education service group was set to meet to consider the next steps on Thursday of this week. An industrial action ballot over pay of UCU and EIS union members in higher education was due to end on Wednesday of this week.

UCAC votes for strikes

Teachers in UCAC, the Welsh teaching union, have voted overwhelmingly for strikes over pay. They backed discontinuous strikes by 84 percent and action short of a strike by 91 percent in a recent ballot. UCAC’s national executive has called action short of a strike from 22 October.

Colleges walk out

Teachers at K College in Kent struck for half a day on Monday of this week to save jobs. The action involved workers in the UCU and NUT unions. Send messages of support to [email protected]

Gateshead College lecturers walked out on Thursday of last week over workload and conditions. They were set to strike again on Wednesday of this week.

Save our rep

Lecturers have launched a campaign to defend UCU branch chair of Manchester Metropolitan University Christine Vié. Christine has been made redundant and lecturers say she is being victimised for her trade union activity. Sign the petition to defend Christine at ucu.org.uk/christinevie

Sefton demo

Teachers left jobless in Sefton after a free school opened were set to protest at the school on Tuesday of this week. The teachers worked at St George of England School and St Wilfrid’s High.

Both closed when the Hawthornes free school opened in September. Teachers have been left without jobs or redundancy money.