HE Bill being rushed through by the Tories
The HE Bill is set to go through Parliament today.
There will be a protest organised outside parliament at 12 noon (contact Sean Wallis for details s.walis@ucl.ac.uk).
Please see the message from Sally Hunt, UCU General Secretary:
Dear colleague,
URGENT: the deeply flawed and damaging Higher Education and Research Bill will return to the House of Commons tomorrow.
Due to the work of UCU, NUS and others, many changes have been made by the House of Lords that will hinder the government’s plans for further marketisation and privatisation of our universities.
Amendments, made in the House of Lords which are NOW AT RISK include:
- blocking plans for a crude rating of teaching quality
- removing the link between teaching excellence and tuition fees
- ensuring any organisation awarding degrees meet improved quality standards
- removing international students from net migration targets
- protections for overseas staff.
I need your help TODAY.
Please use our online tool to contact your MP, send them our latest briefing and encourage them stand up for HE and support the Lords’ amendments.
Best wishes
Sally Hunt
Solidarity with Brighton University UCU strike – defend jobs and unions.
The UCU at the University of Brighton will strike on Wednesday and Thursday next week (26th & 27th April) in a dispute over promotions, demotions, redundancies and union negotiating rights. The University has breached a series of agreements it has with the UCU and refused to abide by the disputes resolution procedure. This is an attempt to achieve effective de-recognition of the union in advance of wholesale attacks on academic terms and conditions.
- Messages of support can be sent to ucubrighton@gmail.com
- ‘Solidarity selfies’, using the slogan ‘Defend union rights. Support Brighton UCU’ (attached) or something similar, can be posted to www.facebook.com/BrightonUCU/ the “selfie poster is attached.
- Donations (to be used to support hourly-paid members disproportionately affected by striking) can be made to UCU University of Brighton’s account, Sort code 60-83-01, Acc. no. 40000280
- Follow us on Twitter: @BrightonUCU
Scottish FE national strike this Thurs 27 April – Honour the deal
FE lecturers in the EIS-FELA union are set to take the first a series of national strikes after college employers’ have refused to implement the agreement that settled the dispute last year over equal pay rates across all Scottish colleges. Picket lines will be up from 8am and there is a Scottish wide protest at Holyrood for strikers and supporters at 1-2pm in Edinburgh.