Universities

Sheffield University: drop the investigation!

Student protesters at the University of Sheffield are facing the threat of expulsion or a large fine for their alleged involvement in a protest. From September 2022 to January 2023 the University employed private investigator Intersol Global to look into students’ involvement in protests. University Regulations state that the investigator may require students under investigation to respect the confidentiality of the investigation. But we know from a report in the Guardian that in March the University investigated two students for their alleged involvement in the occupation of a building...

UCU: support needed for marking boycotters

Higher education members of the University and College Union in 145 institutions have begun a marking and assessment boycott (MAB) in the ongoing dispute over pay, casualisation, workload and equalities. This follows a rejection of the management offer of just 5% for the coming year. In an aggregated re-ballot, which opened before the full detail of the offer was known, 56% of members turned out to beat the threshold for ongoing strikes (86% backing) and action short (90% backing). In the parallel USS pension dispute, action has been called off after agreement on a process to restore benefits...

Brighton University workers fight job cuts

The University of Brighton wants to make 100 teaching and 30 professional services staff redundant. UoB workers are fighting back — and need solidarity. UoB Solidarity has called a walkout and rally on Monday 15 May. Meet at the Level, 11 am, to march to Moulsecoomb campus for a rally at 12, where workers will be joined by students from the Moulsecoomb and Falmer campuses. • More here . Donate here . Sign the petition here A University of Brighton Doctoral Researcher and seminar teacher told us: "As doctoral researchers, our relationship with supervisors is crucial, not only as experts in...

Build university Marking and Assessment boycott!

After extensive consultation over (lack of) progress in its dispute, the University and College Union (UCU) called a marking and assessment boycott (MAB) by members at most UK universities on 20 April. The MAB continues the fight over the pay and conditions issues in the dispute. A mandate for action remains in place on the UCU’s dispute over pensions, but action is suspended on that issue while talks continue. In response to the MAB, many University bosses have threatened to deduct between 25% and 100% of the wages of participating UCU members. Deductions can only be made after results are...

Education: capitalism warps its own work

Over the last fifty years or so, universities have expanded hugely, in Britain and in other countries. The world average “enrolment” rate is now around 40% of the age group.

In Britain it’s about 50%: it was 8% in 1970, about 2% in 1950.

The driver seems to be the thirst of capital for more...

Protest hits Sheffield snooping

As part of a crackdown on student activism, the University of Sheffield has hired Intersol Global, a private investigator firm, to investigate its own students for building occupations. It paid Intersol Global £40,000 in an extraordinary escalation against free expression on campus. On 15 April, Sheffield Solidarity Group organised a protest during the university’s offer-holder open day. The goal was to rally students and the local labour movement in support of the investigated students. Student offer-holders wield economic influence, and universities try to entice them with slick marketing...

UCU marking boycott from 20 April

Straight after a ballot of higher education workers in the University and College Union (UCU) which returned comfortable majorities for continuing action on both the pay and conditions dispute and pension dispute, the union’s leadership around General Secretary Jo Grady called a consultative e-ballot on “offers” in the disputes. On pay and conditions members had been offered three working parties on proposals that may be contingent on local conditions, i.e. with an implied threat of further weakening of national bargaining. On pensions, a limited restoration of benefits is promised, but...

Sheffield protests against crackdown

There has been an increased crackdown on student activism at the University of Sheffield which has culminated in management paying £40,000 to hire private security firm Intersol Global to investigate its own students. This represents an unprecedented escalation, especially given that neither of the accused students was in the city at the time of the occupation (one was on a year abroad). In response, Sheffield Solidarity Group (a student group which aims to foster student-worker solidarity across University of and Sheffield Hallam campuses) has called a demonstration during the offer-holder...

UCU calls for marking boycott from 20 April

Despite numerous backhanded attempts by the union’s general secretary to slow down and wind down the dispute, including seizing control from elected negotiators, University and College Union (UCU) members in higher education have returned a large majority for renewed industrial action in their latest ballots, voting by 85.6% to continue action on pay and conditions, and by 89% to continue action in a parallel dispute on pensions. Currently (as part of the leadership’s control-and-undermine strategy) UCU is holding a consultative e-ballot on so-called offers in those disputes. The only progress...

UCU: fight to stop sell-out

This article was written before UCU eballoted members asking for a consultation on very poor deal, meanwhile stopping the strikes. What about striking while consultation takes place, or better, allowing elected HE committee to make decisions? As Solidarity goes to press, members of the University and College Union are about to begin six days of strike, from Wednesday 15 to Wednesday 22 March inclusive. Action was suspended almost a month ago after the joint union leaderships claimed there had been ‘significant progress’ in talks at ACAS. However, as many activists feared, there is little...

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