Industrial action remains a robust and credible route to a better higher education – WHEN we act in solidarity. It is undeniable that we live under a government that has sought to vilify and disrupt trade union membership and democratic activity.  For some, this leads to a sense of hopelessness, even cynicism, about the value … Continue reading Trade unions DO make a difference

Demand Your Money Back The current UCU ballot is not just another ballot.  This is a defining ballot.  A defining moment in industrial relations. A defining moment in Higher Education. One specific issue of this ballot is to demand the return of the pension contributions literally taken away from us earlier this year.  Not potentially taken away, or subject to … Continue reading Enough is Enough

As Lancaster UCU members we are committed to ensuring that our fight for fairer working conditions always goes hand in hand with the wholly inter-related fight for better learning conditions for our students. This means we will hold the university and management to account when they attempt to undermine and discredit their own regulations, processes … Continue reading Fighting for Students’ Rights to be Assessed with Integrity

Reflections from Wednesday's teach-in, part of the series: Lancaster Student Staff Solidarity: to re-imagine and re-claim our university ** Another nice sunny day on the picket line today (Thursday) - See you all on Friday morning!! ** Our Teach-in on Wednesday the 23rd March began with a talk by Jan McArthur on why assessment is so … Continue reading Assessment to make the world a better place

As we entered this new phase of strike, the sun shone over the picket line this morning.. good staff turnout and strong student presence (thanks for your solidarity!). We also resume this afternoon our very popular  Student-Staff Solidarity Re-imagining and Re-claiming our University Teach-Ins - all welcome! Today's Teach-In is on 'Assessment to make the … Continue reading More days of strikes – More days of Teach-Ins!

Tuesday 1st March picket was full of celebration.  As the sun shone down (finally) we gathered in solidarity to listen, chat, laugh, dance, sing – but through all this strengthen our resolve against an unjust HE system. It was a brilliant picket with national UCU president-elect, Janet Farrar, bringing solidarity greetings and sunshine on her … Continue reading The sun shone on our solidarity, our joy and our resolve … And made us want to ask, “Vice Chancellor, why…”

Introduction On Monday, kicking off the third week of Teach-Ins, Jan McArthur chaired a session on ‘Gender and Queering’. Sally Welsh, David Murphy and Jess Hindley spoke on a wide range of topics, drawing on their personal experiences to provide a powerful introduction to issues of women’s and LGBTQ+ rights in the university context. The … Continue reading Gender and Queering: challenges for the solidarity university

Tuesday’s Teach-in was led by the Lancaster University Marxist Society who have given extraordinary support to staff throughout this strike; standing with us side by side on the pickets every day and making essential contributions to all the Teach-Ins. It is very hard to capture in words alone the spirit and energy of this Teach-In.  … Continue reading Lessons from the 1968 student movement.  Reflections on our Teach-Ins so far.

Today we received this letter from Joe on behalf of the Lancsolidarity group.  We are sharing it with his permission. Dear Lancaster Uni Staff, Hi, I’m Joe, a first year student who is writing on behalf of the Lancsoldiarity group (a collective of students who have been and continue supporting the strikes). Do not let the … Continue reading Urgent message from our student(s):  Do not lose faith. Keep going.

Monday's Teach-in celebrated Red Books Day – which marks the 174th anniversary of the publication of Marx and Engels' The Communist Manifesto, but also celebrates the power of books to reveal injustice, foster understanding, give hope and change our society. On 21st February 2020 thirty thousand people from South Korea to Venezuela joined together to read … Continue reading “We have a world to win”: the power of books