UCU

UCU: we are the union

The annual UCU conference has begun and the leadership, unwilling to accept criticism, has acted anti-democratically and with contempt of its members reports Des Freedman
UCU pensions dispute: the battle is over, but the fight continues

UCU members recently voted to suspend industrial action; the action may be on pause but the dispute is far from over.
After Windrush: this racist government must go - Counterfire Freesheet May 2018

Windrush, May 68, Palestine, UCU strike, Marx and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 025, May 2018
University workers' statement on UCU ballot result

The strike is over: our fight is not
The case to vote 'no' in the UCU ballot and how we can win

As university workers vote in a ballot on UUK's latest offer, Lee Jones explains why they should vote no and how the campaign to reject the deal can win
Vote NO: university workers call to reject proposed deal

Lecturers and supporters met at a national activists meeting today to discuss the campaign to reject UUK's proposed deal
Reject the UUK deal: we need to fight now

In this open letter, university workers from across the country argue that we cannot accept the deal as it stands, and must fight for a No vote
Update on university pensions dispute

These motions, passed at various branches, offer a guide as to how we should approach the dispute at this critical moment
University strikes: employers’ retreat needs to be nailed down

As UUK returns with a further offer, Des Freedman takes a look at the immediate options facing university staff involved in the dispute
We're not going to take it any more - statement from precarious staff at the University of Kent

Following the UCU strike against pension cuts, precarious staff at the University of Kent release a statement demanding no pay cuts for strike action for already poorly paid staff
Time's up Theresa - Counterfire Freesheet March 2018

Brexit, Corbyn and the Labour right, gender pay gap, commodification of universities and more...
The government's stance on Salisbury is a big gamble - weekly briefing

Theresa May's Cold War revivalism is a high risk strategy for all of us, writes Alex Snowdon
Lecturers' strike: the rank and file have spoken, now we have to take the lead

Feyzi Ismail reports from outside UCU headquarters as the union’s Higher Education Committee votes to reject the employers’ derisory offer
Lecturers' strike update: no capitulation

Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why the deal between UCU and UUK is bad one and should be rejected
Lecturers' strike update: together we can win

As the lecturers' stike enters its final week, a lecturer explains what we have achieved and what we still need to do
Lecturers' strike update: students at Reading University begin occupation

Joining a wave of student occupations that look set to escalate this week, students at Reading University have begun an occupation in solildarity with striking lecturers
Student Occupations Live #OccupyUUK

Live updates of students occupying university buildings in solidarity with striking lecturers. #UCUstrike #StrikeForUSS
The lecturers' strikes started in winter but are finishing in spring - weekly briefing

University staff and students have shown that committed and passionate resistance is possible and neccesary, finds Des Freedman
Lecturers' strike update: inside the occupation at Exeter University

Now on the third day of #ExeterOccupy in support of striking lecturers, Theseus Stefanatos and Alex Rafael Rose report on the action students are taking and why
Lecturers strike massive blow

The UCU strike is not just about pensions. It is an opportunity to fight for a new vision for Higher Education, argues Milly Williamson
Lecturers' strike: interview with a QMU striker

A UCU striker at Queen Mary University speaks to Katherine Connelly about the ongoing dispute
Lecturers' strike update: students occupy in Bristol, Exeter and Leicester

In solidarity with striking lecturers and opposing further marketisation of higher education, students begin occupying management offices reports Jack Hazeldine
Lecturers' strike: Deepen the action, spread the support

As the strike continues, we must up the ante, argues Des Freedman
Against the marketisation of our education

Rather than calling for compensation for lost teaching time, students should stand in full solidarity with university and college staff
Lecturers' strike report: students show their support

On the 5th day of the UCU strike, picket lines stayed strong despite the weather and students came out in force to show their support
Europe: why retreat must not turn into defeat for the left - weekly briefing

Lindsey German analyses Jeremy Corbyn's speech on Brexit, as well as the importance of the UCU strike and the growing movement against the NRA in the US
What you can do to support the lecturers' strike

As the strike continues we must keep the pressure on, argues Chris Nineham
Lecturers' strike updates: Striking to win

As the UCU strike carries on into its 4th day, we put together some short reports from picket lines around the country
Bristol leads the way in supporting striking university staff - photos

After a huge mobilisation to support striking lecturers on the first day of the strike, Bristolians took to the streets again to show solidarity reports Jack Hazeldine
Forget the Arctic conditions: our universities are on fire

The UCU strike has the potential to rebuild the campaign against the marketisation of our higher education, writes Des Freedman
Lecturers' strike day one: A bad day for the casino

University strikers across the country are reporting the most successful and well supported industrial action for years
'They think we are weak - they could not be more wrong': Goldsmiths kicks off against pension cuts

On the first day of this historic strike, Goldsmiths lecturers show they mean business and are fighting to win
Solidarity with striking lecturers - resolution

Resolution to submit at your Union branches/CLPs/elsewhere in solidarity with UCU members going on strike from Thursday
Why we strike: why lecturers need your support

As university staff are set to take strike action, two lecturers, Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why you should support the strike
Biggest ever strike in higher education? UCU members prepare to defend pensions

As education workers get ready to strike, Des Freedman, a professor at Goldsmiths University, tells us what we can do to support them
University staff set to strike after ballot victory

University staff are set for 14 days of strike action after voting decisively for walkouts in opposition to attacks on their pensions reports Des Freedman
SOAS and the fight against precarity

Reporting the extent of precarity across the university sector in Britain is welcome but precarious work needs to end now, argues Carrie Benjamin
The assault on universities: the 2016 version

Ahead of the education protest called by the NUS and UCU on 19 November, Des Freedman and Feyzi Ismail explain why staff and students should join it
Lecturers' strike: fighting for fairness and the future

Higher education (HE) workers across the country took the first of two consecutive days' strike action in the campaign for fair pay. Graham Kirkwood reports
Challenging the pay and working conditions of hourly-paid and fractional staff

Staff at Queen Mary’s have launched an anticasualisation campaign demanding pay for all hours worked at London Living Wage and contract uniformity. Isabelle Leach reports
Pessimism and rage in the higher education pensions dispute

We have seven weeks in which to raise the temperature and to inject some hope into the battle to defend pensions says Des Freedman
Hands off our pensions!

Des Freedman, Brian Alleyne and Tom Henri on why staff at 69 universities have started a marking boycott to protest against proposed changes to pensions

UCU

UCU

The annual UCU conference has begun and the leadership, unwilling to accept criticism, has acted anti-democratically and with contempt of its members reports Des Freedman

UCU members recently voted to suspend industrial action; the action may be on pause but the dispute is far from over.

Windrush, May 68, Palestine, UCU strike, Marx and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 025, May 2018

The strike is over: our fight is not

As university workers vote in a ballot on UUK's latest offer, Lee Jones explains why they should vote no and how the campaign to reject the deal can win

Lecturers and supporters met at a national activists meeting today to discuss the campaign to reject UUK's proposed deal

In this open letter, university workers from across the country argue that we cannot accept the deal as it stands, and must fight for a No vote

These motions, passed at various branches, offer a guide as to how we should approach the dispute at this critical moment

As UUK returns with a further offer, Des Freedman takes a look at the immediate options facing university staff involved in the dispute

Following the UCU strike against pension cuts, precarious staff at the University of Kent release a statement demanding no pay cuts for strike action for already poorly paid staff

Brexit, Corbyn and the Labour right, gender pay gap, commodification of universities and more...

Theresa May's Cold War revivalism is a high risk strategy for all of us, writes Alex Snowdon

Feyzi Ismail reports from outside UCU headquarters as the union’s Higher Education Committee votes to reject the employers’ derisory offer

Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why the deal between UCU and UUK is bad one and should be rejected

As the lecturers' stike enters its final week, a lecturer explains what we have achieved and what we still need to do

Joining a wave of student occupations that look set to escalate this week, students at Reading University have begun an occupation in solildarity with striking lecturers

Live updates of students occupying university buildings in solidarity with striking lecturers. #UCUstrike #StrikeForUSS

University staff and students have shown that committed and passionate resistance is possible and neccesary, finds Des Freedman

Now on the third day of #ExeterOccupy in support of striking lecturers, Theseus Stefanatos and Alex Rafael Rose report on the action students are taking and why

The UCU strike is not just about pensions. It is an opportunity to fight for a new vision for Higher Education, argues Milly Williamson

A UCU striker at Queen Mary University speaks to Katherine Connelly about the ongoing dispute

In solidarity with striking lecturers and opposing further marketisation of higher education, students begin occupying management offices reports Jack Hazeldine

As the strike continues, we must up the ante, argues Des Freedman

Rather than calling for compensation for lost teaching time, students should stand in full solidarity with university and college staff

On the 5th day of the UCU strike, picket lines stayed strong despite the weather and students came out in force to show their support

Lindsey German analyses Jeremy Corbyn's speech on Brexit, as well as the importance of the UCU strike and the growing movement against the NRA in the US

As the strike continues we must keep the pressure on, argues Chris Nineham

As the UCU strike carries on into its 4th day, we put together some short reports from picket lines around the country

After a huge mobilisation to support striking lecturers on the first day of the strike, Bristolians took to the streets again to show solidarity reports Jack Hazeldine

The UCU strike has the potential to rebuild the campaign against the marketisation of our higher education, writes Des Freedman

University strikers across the country are reporting the most successful and well supported industrial action for years

On the first day of this historic strike, Goldsmiths lecturers show they mean business and are fighting to win

Resolution to submit at your Union branches/CLPs/elsewhere in solidarity with UCU members going on strike from Thursday

As university staff are set to take strike action, two lecturers, Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why you should support the strike

As education workers get ready to strike, Des Freedman, a professor at Goldsmiths University, tells us what we can do to support them

University staff are set for 14 days of strike action after voting decisively for walkouts in opposition to attacks on their pensions reports Des Freedman

Reporting the extent of precarity across the university sector in Britain is welcome but precarious work needs to end now, argues Carrie Benjamin

Ahead of the education protest called by the NUS and UCU on 19 November, Des Freedman and Feyzi Ismail explain why staff and students should join it

Higher education (HE) workers across the country took the first of two consecutive days' strike action in the campaign for fair pay. Graham Kirkwood reports

Staff at Queen Mary’s have launched an anticasualisation campaign demanding pay for all hours worked at London Living Wage and contract uniformity. Isabelle Leach reports

We have seven weeks in which to raise the temperature and to inject some hope into the battle to defend pensions says Des Freedman

Des Freedman, Brian Alleyne and Tom Henri on why staff at 69 universities have started a marking boycott to protest against proposed changes to pensions

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