Members of the UCU lecturers’ unions in the south west of England are building for a protest against BNP leader Nick Griffin, who intends to speak at Bath university on Monday of next week.
Last Saturday 35 UCU union members from 18 different London colleges came to an activists’ meeting. It was one of the most exciting meetings that we have had for a long time.
Over 100 people attended the Tower Hamlets College Save Esol (English for speakers of other languages) rally, organised by the UCU lecturers’ union on Wednesday of last week.
Lecturers at City College Manchester have voted to strike. In an 85 percent yes vote for action, members of the UCU union have shown their anger at new contracts with fewer holidays and increased teaching hours for new lecturers.
There is general agreement among lecturers that while many people were happy at the number of UCU Left supporters elected to the executive, the numbers voting were pitifully low.
There are just two weeks left until the ballot closes for the UCU national executive and general secretary positions. It is vital that lecturers use every opportunity to talk to their colleagues about the importance of voting for Roger Kline and the other UCU Left candidates.
Lecturers across Britain have received the ballot papers for the UCU general secretary and national executive positions this week. The ballot runs until 7 March, and lecturers need to keep campaigning throughout the election period.
As ballot papers went out this week for the University and College Union (UCU) national executive positions, candidates supported by UCU Left – including general secretary candidate Roger Kline – were campaigning against creeping privatisation of education.
