In a fantastic display of solidarity, UCU members at University College London voted today to donate £3000 from branch funds to our CCCG hardship fund. Strikers heard about the news via a live Zoom link-up at our mass meeting at lunchtime. The decision was greeted by a huge roar of approval and appreciation from all present at the meeting. We may be called upon to reciprocate in providing solidarity to our colleagues at UCL when they start their own industrial action shortly. For an update on our negotiations with management today see the Strike News page.

We’re grateful to Shaun Drey at Reel News for putting together this excellent short film about our strike. Please watch and then pass on the details to friends, families, contacts and fellow trade unionists. It deserves to be shared and seen widely.

NEU members at Islington 6th form Centre have decided to stand alongside their UCU colleagues by balloting for strike action over the hated lesson observation policy imposed by CCCG management. NEU branch Sec, Pippa Dowswell, explained why all teachers are so opposed to ‘Any time, Any class, Any manager’ at a UCU rally today:

UCU officers met with CCCG management on Thursday 7 Oct and this morning, Monday 11 Oct, in order to negotiate an end to the dispute over our three-part claim. The talks this morning did not manage to find a way to end the dispute (more details to follow) despite some movement being made on Thurs. Our five days of strike action will therefore continue on Monday 11 October as planned. We have made clear UCU are willing to meet any place and at any time to resolve this dispute. The following events are planned for this week. More details will follow.

In a spectacular show of solidarity, several hundred strikers from CCCG were joined in noisy protest by trade unionists from the Fire Brigade, University College Hospital, Camden Council and by arrange of speakers including Michelline Safi-Ngongo from Islington Council, John McDonnell (former shadow Chancellor) and UCU General Secretary, Jo Grady.

Earlier in the morning, Jo Grady, UCU Gen Sec, visited pickets at the Soho Centre, where there is a complete shutdown of all teaching.

Support the FE Strikes Solidarity Rally 12pm, Weds 6 October

Called by City & Islington College UCU, Westminster Kingsway College UCU, College of North East London UCU, Croydon College UCU, Lambeth College UCU, Liverpool City College UCU, University of Liverpool UCU and London Region UCU.

This joint rally has been called to support the fight over pay in FE and to celebrate the success of the fight over jobs at the University of Liverpool. Speakers include activists from striking FE branches, Liverpool University UCU, Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP and Jo Grady, UCU Gen Sec.

Solidarity with FE strikes

This week we begin our second week of strike action over pay and conditions. Lecturers in FE colleges have seen their pay cut by 30% in the last decade and 24,000 posts deleted. Government and employers offer praise for the sacrifices that FE lecturers made during the pandemic for continuing to provide an education to their students but reward them with pay cuts, increase workloads and more managerialism. Enough is enough!

Celebrate victory at the University of Liverpool

The University of Liverpool UCU has achieved a complete victory in its fight over jobs. Last week management finally withdrew the last two of 47 threatened compulsory redundancies. No-one has been made redundant under the University’s ‘Project Shape’ shakeup of the university’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. This remarkable result has come after nearly five months of official industrial action of strikes and a marking boycott.

As the fight at the University of Liverpool comes to an end, other UCU branches are moving into struggle. In Liverpool, the City of Liverpool College UCU branch is fighting this week over pay, along with other branches in the FE sector.

Please join us in Liverpool or online (the zoom link has been sent to UCU members) to celebrate Liverpool’s proud fighting tradition.

UCU members joined the Royal College of Art strikers on their picket line today.

RCA members are on strike over unfair and precarious employment practices, unsafe workloads especially regarding a new academic model that will completely restructure their teaching and on issues of equalities. Many of their committee members from 2020/21 who have left the institution were casualised members, women and from Global Ethnic Majority backgrounds, so the issue of equalities has deeply effected them as a branch. It was a pleasure to go down and support them on their picket and to offer them solidarity on behalf of all CCCG UCU members.

Joining our picket lines is so uplifting! Enjoy a spot of solidarity with the CONEL Enfield strikers as they celebrate their sense of comradeship and togetherness in this post-picket breakfast video:

Other picket lines across CCCG have been equally vibrant and upbeat as these pics from today’s strike day demonstrate. And the photos continue to pour in.

Our strike action got off to a magnificent start today with all sites across the three colleges reporting solid picket lines and overwhelming support from staff and students. A noisy and energised lobby of CCCG’s HQ at the Victoria Centre at lunchtime drew enthusiastic support from striking teachers and LSAs and local and national UCU officials. A few photos below capture the spirit and solidarity on display across our many picket lines. For daily updates on events at each college see ‘Strike News’ section.