UCU Campaign Update 8 Jan 2010
In this week's campaign update:
* Mandelson launches investigation into Leeds cuts as strike dates confirmed
* New advice for prison educators at Manchester College
* UCU warns of job losses as record number of students apply to university
* Higher fees a lazy option says UCU as Mandelson goes on the attack
* New CALL Bulletin - More Adult Learning cuts
* UCU piles pressure on 'impact agenda' at Science and Technology Committee
* Unions at UEA launch joint campaign for agreement on jobs
* UCU warns of legal action in Aberystwyth jobs fight
* Tower Hamlets UCU turn spotlight on ESOL again
Mandelson launches investigation into Leeds cuts as strike dates confirmed
There was bad news for the university of Leeds this week as it was
revealed that it has been asked by the Visitor of the university (Lord
Mandelson in his capacity as Lord President of the Council) to put its
cost cutting plans on hold while he investigates a formal challenge that
the university broke its own rules when making redundancies. The news came
as UCU members at Leeds announced a rolling programme of industrial action
with one-day strikes taking place on Thursday 25 February, Tuesday 2 and
Thursday 4 March. There will also be a regional rally and demonstration on
either Thursday 4 or Friday 5 March as part of the union's 'Defend jobs,
defend education' campaign. Read more on the planned strike action here:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4428&from=1676 and here for the
investigation: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4435&from=1676.
Catch up with all the latest on the campaign here:
http://leedsucu.wordpress.com/
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New advice for prison educators at Manchester College With The Manchester
College threatening to slash 250 jobs in offender learning as the latest
example of its unique management style, UCU has issued new advice for
members on the college's woeful 'voluntary' redundancy scheme. If you are
a prison educator working for the college, you can download this document
here:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/7/p/tmsprisoned_briefing_vr_feb10.pdf UCU
is also helping prison reps to organise in the college, providing a new
email network to assist them in sharing experience and advice.
*WHAT YOU CAN DO*:
The more reps we have active among the college's prison
educators, the stronger the union will be and with the extent of the
attacks on this staff group, the union has never been more necessary. If
you are a prison educator in the college and you are interesting in
helping out as a rep, contact Ronnie Kershaw at rkershaw@ucu.org.uk
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UCU warns of job losses as record number of students apply to university
Job cuts in higher education hit the front page of the Guardian this week
as UCU warned on Monday that 15,000 jobs were at risk across higher
education if punitive government funding cuts went ahead. The union said
that the government had to understand that widespread cuts would mean
serious consequences. Monday was also the day it was revealed record
numbers of people had applied to university, which prompted UCU to warn
that a whole generation could have their dreams shattered. UCU general
secretary, Sally Hunt, said: "You cannot make savage funding cuts without
serious consequences, despite Lord Mandelson's insulting efforts to sell
the cuts as an opportunity. The government is abandoning a generation who,
instead of benefiting from education, will find themselves on the dole
alongside sacked teaching staff."
You can read the Guardian piece here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/feb/08/university-funding-cuts-crisis
For the union's press releases, click here
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4421&from=4404 and here:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4422&from=1676. The story was
also picked up by the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7190949/University-admissions-students-being-abandoned.html
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Higher fees a lazy option says UCU as Mandelson goes on the attack
UCU said yesterday that a report advocating higher fees from the think
tank Policy Exchange spectacularly failed to add anything to the debate on
funding higher education. Later in the day Lord Mandelson did very little
to further his case in the debate by accusing universities of being set in
aspic. Sally Hunt accused Policy Exchange of writing a report simply to
justify fees and called on Lord Mandelson to listen to academics instead
of rudely dismissing them. You can read more here:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4429&from=1676 and here:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4433&from=1676.
The story
featured in the Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/universities-are-being-alarmist-says-mandelson-1897140.html
and the Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article7022657.ece
New CALL Bulletin - More Adult Learning cuts
The Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning has published a new
bulletin including updates on the latest round of cuts to affect Adult
learning, impacting on Skills for Life, basic skills and developmental
learning in particular. You can read the latest by downloading the
bulletin here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/e/n/callbulletin13.pdf
*WHAT YOU CAN DO*:
we are gathering information on the impact of this
latest attack on adult learning. If your college is already making cuts or
shifting provision, tell us by emailingdtaubman@ucu.org.uk.
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UCU piles pressure on 'impact agenda' at Science and Technology Committee
UCU President Alastair Hunter appeared before the House of Commons Science and Technology committee this week to be give evidence to an inquiry on funding for science teaching and research. The controversial proposals on impact as part of the REF were first on the agenda and Alastair left the committee in no doubt of the union's view that the impact proposals are misguided, impractical and will imperil much scientific research in the UK. Thanks to all of you who inundated the committee with their own responses on the proposals. You can read a full write up on the session here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/stc_10feb10
Unions at UEA launch joint campaign for agreement on jobs
UCU, UNISON and Unite members joined forces at University of East Anglia
this week to launch a joint campaign in pursuit of an agreement on
protecting jobs at the institution. While there are currently no immediate
threats, members of all unions have launched a proactive campaign in
pursuit of an agreement because they realise it is better to be setting
the agenda than reacting in a crisis. In an impressive and highly visible
day of action, the unions held a meeting addressed by Simon Renton from
UCU's higher education committee and covered their campus with leaflets,
posters and stickers calling on the university to defend education.
UCU warns of legal action in Aberystwyth jobs fight
UCU has written to members of the Aberystwyth University Council as part
of its campaign to halt controversial plans to make more than 100 members
of staff at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences
(IBERS) redundant. In the letter UCU warns that, if necessary, it will
take legal action to force a longer period of consultation with staff. You
can read more here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/4437 and here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/8512342.stm
Tower Hamlets UCU turn spotlight on ESOL again
With ESOL one of the areas of adult learning under particular pressure,
colleagues at Tower Hamlets have once again put ESOL firmly in the
spotlight, turning up the pressure on local politicians at a specially
organised ESOL focused 'Question Time' in the borough. Local politicians
from almost all the main parties turned up to the London Muslim Centre in
Whitechapel on February 4th to face questions on their views on ESOL cuts
from members of the local community, ESOL teachers from other parts of
London , the local press, members of NATECLA and UCU officials from
central office. You can read more about this event here:
http://makeeducationcount.org.uk/?p=281
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