Allilengyi! (αλληλεγγύη – Greek for Solidarity)



Despina Koutsoumba and Foutis Georgiadis from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and a civil servants’ union,

Paul Mackney Former General Secretary of NATFHE,

Cath Hepburn UCU Vice Chair Sunderland College and Jude Letham UCU Centre Rep, Sunderland College

Hearing of the disputes with management at both Sunderland College and Gateshead College, the Coalition of Resistance in Newcastle asked for speakers from UCU to address their meeting last night (Thursday 26^th April).  The main topic was “Solidarity v Austerity – Report back from Greece” but UCU were given the platform first, to highlight local events. 

Cath Hepburn, as UCU FE Sector Regional Secretary and NEC member (elect) was able to speak for both colleges, outlining the drastic cuts to salary that hundreds of academic staff will face.  People were shocked at the level of percentage cuts (between 25% and 33% for most staff) placing the majority of lecturers in the two colleges below the national average wage and the average starting salary of a graduate.  There was some discussion on the implications this could have for both schools and universities. 

Many verbal messages of support were given from the floor and an information leaflet prepared by UCU Regional Office was distributed, along with details of UCU Sunderland College Branch Facebook campaign.

Paul Mackney, who many of you will remember as NATFHE’s General Secretary, began by drawing together the two parts of the meeting by telling us that the greatest lesson that other countries can learn from the situation in Greece is to fight public service cuts and the type of cuts to salaries and working conditions that Sunderland College and Gateshead College academic staff are facing.

Despina and Foutis, trade unionists who work for the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, gave powerful testimonies about the drastic decline in living standards in Greece, rising suicide rates and homelessness.  Their message for other countries aiming to avoid the same fate is to fight back against public service cuts.  Fight now and fight hard.

For more information:  www.greecesolidarity.org

UCU members at Gateshead College take their views to the public

An old slogan - but a relevant one!

UCU members at Gateshead College gather to let the public know what is happening #no2paycuts

Standing together and standing strong

UCU members from Gateshead College branch are facing pay cuts of up to 25% as senior management seek to tear up the existing conditions of service and impose new ones.  The cuts come just months after a Freedom of Information request reveals the levels of pay of senior managment.  For more details, go to http://tinyurl.com/gheaducu3

The branch decided that it would use the opportunity of a College Open Event to make their point http://www.gateshead.ac.uk/events/open-events/full-time-course-open-event-april/.  They gathered with leaflets and placards and spoke to the public to explain about the dispute.  Alan Reynolds, one of the UCU representatives at Gateshead College says:

"We have spoken to the public coming in to the open evening and alerted them to what is going on.  They are quite shocked when they hear about the proposals to cut pay by a quarter.  The support from staff, students and the public has been very good - and we are sure that this will continue."

Around 40 staff and students came to the protest, designed to coincide with the advice event.  UCU members wore rosettes both inside whilst giving advice and outside whilst handing out leaflets about the dispute.

The dispute has already been covered in the media http://tinyurl.com/gheaducu1 and it is clear that this is just the start of things to come.

Commenting on the good support, Alan Reynolds says

"Members of the public were all too willing to lend support to the lecturers saying that the cut in pay and demands for extra work were hardly credible."

Gateshead College UCU members show their anger to Senior Management

Gateshead College announced to their staff before the Easter break that they were going to be dismissed from their current terms and conditions.  Not a good way for staff to begin a well deserved break in the run-up to examination and assessment time.

The Branch met on Tuesday 17th April 2012 to discuss the proposals and overwhelmigly voted to begin the process of preparing for a concerted campaign of industrial action.

On Wedneday 18th April 2012, over 80 branch members atteneded a protest outside the main College entrance, supported by Regional Office staff.  The spontaneous slow hand-clapping of the senior leadership team as they walked through the throng of staff who face pay cuts of around £10,000 a year showed the strength of feeling of the UCU membership at Gateshead College.

The threat to remove all workload protections has rung alarm bells with staff and genuine fears about the impact this will have on the quality of education that they will be able to provide.

UCU Branch representatives, supported by Iain Owens (Regional Official) have begun the negotiations and have made clear that members want a guarantee that they will suffer no financial detriment.  No guarantee has been forthcoming and the campaign and protests (as below) will continue.

An old slogan for a new generation

Longstanding UCU Representative, Alan Reynolds, thanks members for their support and pledges to continue to fight back against the draconian proposals