Messages of support

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We've received dozens of messages of support for our campaign to save London Met, stop the job cuts and stop outsourcing. We've put some of them into one post here. Please send your messages of support to:

London Met UNISON: unisonlondonmet@googlemail.com
and
London Met UCU: lmuucu@devisland.net

Click on link below for full post...


George Galloway

Congratulations on your protest today, which has my wholehearted support. I am sorry that I cannot be with you today.

I am at a prearranged series of events in Edinburgh raising material aid for the people of Gaza and campaigning for the post of Lord Rector, at the behest of large numbers of students. Among the issues I am campaigning on are student finance and ending the chaos that surrounds university funding, which itself is all too inadequate.

I am both angered and shocked that London Met plans to cut £18 million from the teaching budget and that the HEFCE is clawing back £38 million from the university.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt and your local union officers have written to me explaining that other universities in a similar position have responded in a more restrained way than London Met. I have written to the university governors today asking them at the very least to do likewise.

But there is an obvious parallel here. The government boasts of its "fiscal stimulus" and "counter-cyclical" actions in the face of the deepening economic recession. However late, limited and hobbled by deference to the banks and big business those measures are, the principle of state action to stave off economic collapse is sound. Why then for banks and not for jobs?

What logic is there in piling on the public debt by handing money to the City while cutting public spending or allowing it to be cut in vital areas such as education?

These cuts would be crushing anywhere, but speaking as the MP covering the Tower Hamlets site of London Met they will be devastating. Large numbers of local students study at the university. It makes a vital contribution to the community in the borough helping to raise young people's expectations in one of the most deprived areas in Britain.

I am confident that any attempt to push through cuts and job losses on anything like this scale will be met with strong opposition not only from campus staff and unions, but from the wider community in east London. Neither will we tolerate any attempt to play off one part of the university against another. We oppose cuts in north London as strongly as in east London, and in Parliament Jeremy Corbyn and I will work as one to back your campaign.

In solidarity,

George Galloway MP

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I am writing to express my support for your campaign in opposition to these appalling job cuts.

Yours,

John McDonnell MP

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MESSAGE from the GENERAL SECRETARY to UNISON members at London Metropolitan University

Colleagues,

I was extremely concerned to learn of the current crisis you face at London Met. Although I understand that the basis leading to this point has been clearly known for sometime, it is only in the last week or so that the potential loss of jobs has become known.

To state that 320 redundancies will have to be made in this financial year alone is difficult enough to comprehend but to be told that two thirds of these redundancies will involve support staff posts; makes our task in UNISON all the more urgent; our role in representing your interests so much more important.

The first step must be to be provided with the required formal notice of redundancies that will begin to clarify where and which posts are under threat; the methods the University intend to use to select those at risk; the ways in which they will seek to reduce this potential number of jobs being lost and in doing so, avoid compulsory redundancies. And through the period of consultation that will follow this notice being served, we will do all in our power as a union to hold them to this.

I am reassured to know that you have a strong team of local representatives acting on your behalf within the University and playing their part in the wider campaign to protect the learning opportunities afforded to your students. I know they will have the full support of UNISON’s Greater London Region. I also welcome the way in which we will be standing shoulder to shoulder in the campaign ahead with our colleagues in the UCU.

I will be writing to the Higher Education Minister, David Lammy, seeking his intervention both in lessening the financial burden imposed on London Met by HFCE and in dealing with the University’s senior management team who have clearly lost your and the entire workforce’s confidence given the staggering incompetence they have shown in the build up to this crisis.

I wish you well in the difficult times ahead and rest assured that UNISON will be with you every step of the way.


Dave Prentis
General Secretary, UNISON

http://www.unison.co.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=5129
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I am writing to give my support to the decision of the UCU London Metropolitan Branch to ballot members on industrial action in defence of jobs and services.

Institutions like London Metropolitan University, built on former polytechnics with very strong local roots, were established and run with public funds to widen access to education.

It is, therefore, a scandal that, at a time of deepening recession and when communities need access to education as never before, your management sees fit to make random cuts on such an extensive scale.

We wish you every success in your ballot and hope that it persuades management to give serious consideration to the alternative proposals put forward by your Branch.

PCS is also proud to give its support to your community campaign and resistance to damaging job cuts. We are pleased that a joint initiative has been organised in conjunction with PCS members in the Office of the Public Guardian. I have asked our London & South-East Regional Secretary, Tom Taylor, to ensure that full details are circulated to our branches in London and that members are encouraged to attend. I would be grateful if you would pass on my greetings.

With best wishes

Mark Serwotka
General Secretary, PCS

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Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary, who spoke at one of our meetings, has his own blog so his members can keep up to date on what he's been up to. His posting on Friday includes the following quote from his speech:

"There is a fundamental reason why every trade unionist should be standing with you.

"UK PLC is in recession. Hundreds of thousands of jobs will go. At such a time further and higher education becomes not less but more important.

"Expanding education is a vital response to economic crisis. London Met, a vibrant university with a mix of class and ethnicity and culture must be central to helping re-skill and retrain Londoners facing a daunting future not adding to the unemployment figures. Education cuts are a false economy."


http://jeremydear.blogspot.com/2009/01/coming-up-for-air.html

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To UNISON and UCU London Met University

I am writing on behalf of UNISON Tower Hamlets Local Government Branch to offer our support for your campaign to save jobs.

We believe that it is totally unacceptable that academic and other staff, many of whom will be low paid support staff should pay for financial mismanagement by senior staff.

These cuts will have a devastating impact on the staff affected, and can only have an adverse impact on students. London Met provides vital educational opportunities for working class students in Tower Hamlets.

Whilst your management appear to have a heavy responsibility for financial mismanagement we also believe that the government should not be imposing the full cut in funding. When banks have been brought to the edge of ruin by financial mismanagement this government has provided staggering amounts to bail them out. A tiny fraction of that kind of support would remove the need for any compulsory redundancies and enable trade union and student bodies to engage in constructive discussions with the University governing bodies about future funding.

Jobs and educational opportunities in Higher Education also need and deserve to be protected in a time of recession.

We hope to have a delegation on your protest tomorrow and wish you a great success with it.

Please keep us informed on the progress of your campaign and of any assistance we can provide.

In solidarity,

John McLoughlin
Branch Secretary
Tower Hamlets UNISON

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Goldsmiths UCU gives its full support to colleagues at London Metropolitan faced with cuts and victimisation. There should be no room for managements who compensate for their own failures by taking it out on their staff; but apparently there is. There should be no need for redundancies when we have a government dedicated to increasing access; but apparently there is. There should be no rights for managers to victimise trade unionists for offering their support to other trade unionists; but apparently there are. Finally, there should be no way that a College has the right to attack both its staff and undermine the quality of education for students; but apparently, in a marketized system, there is. We stand with you and wish you success on all fronts.

Sincerely,

Goldsmiths UCU

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Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of Barnsley College UCU we would like to offer you our full support in your fight to stop redundancies. What is happening to you is outrageous and your fight will get the support of the overwhelming majority both of lecturers and everyone working in the education sector and beyond.
We are grateful to the London Met UCU members who supported our fight last autumn to defend a victimised member and we pledge to do all we can to return that solidarity now. Unity is indeed strength.
Dave Gibson (Barnsley College UCU secretary)

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I wish to offer my support for all staff at London Met who are facing the misery of continued mis-management despite the early departure of Brian Roper, who seems to have landed the insitution in a terrible mess. The current voluntary severance scheme appears yet another ill thought out attempt to right the sinking ship. I appreciate it will not be easy to get things back on track but threatening to sack dedicated staff appears to be totally the wrong approach. The first step should be assurances for staff and then together staff and management can work to resolve the difficulties. It does look like government intervention is required and this is justified for an institution such as London Met, which has a major role to play in London, not least the training of social workers sadly being cut from my own institution for less than satasfactory reasons. Lets face it, billons spent on the banks have not fixed their financial problems - it is time to spend the money where real good can be done.
Ian Bland, University of Reading

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We read with horror the way in which the management at LMU have chosen to deal with your financial problems. We at Elliott school face a similar scenario, with the announcement of 6.2 redundant posts and a catalogue of manipulations, in the name of 'restructturing' to try to divide staff by making them apply for their own jobs. Like yourselves we are left with no choice but to ballot for industrial action and we support you wholeheartedly in your actions in defence of the education service we all work so hard to maintain.
Spencer Barnshaw, Wandsworth NUT joint secretary

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Cranfield UCU Local Association wishes to express solidarity and support to their colleagues and friends at London Met during the ongoing difficulties that you are facing with London Met management. We have drawn attention to the online petition and I have written to your acting Vice-Chancellor in protest against the University's plans.
Ned Ashby, Secretary, Cranfield UCU

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I would like to offer support for UCU members at this difficult time. We are having our own difficulties at my college and staff are underthreat of redundancy here also. All this at a time when the workforceneeds teachers and trainers!
Caroline Brown, BME, Coleg Sir Gar (Wales)

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Sorry this message is so brief - it's just to express support for your campaign and to say I'll forward the information about itto colleagues, email the VC and follow the other suggestions for how to support you in the message.
Good luck with this.
Dr Michael Loughlin, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, MMU Cheshire

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It is essential that the laughing cavalier management at LMU are heldpublicly accountable otherwise the sector will continue to attractprincipals who are intellectually mediocre, self-aggrandising bullies.I wish you well.
Barbara, University of Sunderland

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What I have learned is horrific. I would urge University not to punish staff for the inefficiency of the govt and management. I strongly support the staff against the job cuts.
Mehdi Husaini, Teesside University

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Comrades, I'm appalled but hardly surprised at events at LMU. This is an attack on us all and must be resisted with absolute solidarity and in everyway. You have my full support! La lutte continue!
Dr Lawrence Green, CIBI, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School

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Dear Colleagues I've recently retired as a full time academic from UWIC in Cardiff. Over the years I've helped organise many battles against redundancies and it is the hardest fight we face and cannot even really start without the strongest ongoing industrial action. This must be taken before names are known otherwise the unity starts to be undermined. You've also two battles - one against your management but also against the Funding Council and the UCU nationally should help you apply pressure against the latter. There is no way that we can allow HE in London to be decimated. It is not acceptable that students and staff should be expected to pay the cost of incompetent - and worse - management.
Len Arthur - Cardiff

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I am voicing support for those staff facing the redundancy battle withLondon Met.
Dr. Deirdre Osborne, Goldsmiths College, University of London

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I support the UCU's concern over the threatened redundancies at London Met.
Geoff Nash, University of Sunderland

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Dear Comrades,

I am appalled, though far from surprised, at the plans put forward for LMU. They are an insult both to the staff and the students and run counter to the better instincts of both civic and academic society.

I have circulated your appeal among my fellow union members in GMB Norwich branches and the local Trades Council, and more widely to progressives in various local political and civic society groups. I have signed the petition and am about to write to the Acting Vice Chancellor to protest these vicious cuts.

In solidarity

Keith Rowley, Branch Secretary, GMB Norwich General Branch

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Supporting your rights to be heard, to work under fair terms and and conditions and your value recognised.
Janice Baker
(ex-LGUSU Peer Support)

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Dear colleagues,

London needs the whole range and scale of provision of HE that exists, indeed, with the latest news of increasing student demand in the face of the recession, it needs to grow. The threat to provision and jobs at London Met makes no sense; it is illogical for current staff and future students to lose jobs and opportunities because of gross errors by management. The cuts would leave a damaging gap in the education available for students from London and elsewhere.

I have circulated your call to all our members and will ensure we discuss it as a matter of urgency at our next meeting. I am confident you will have the full support of our members, please keep us informed of how we can support you.

Mike Cushman
Secretary, LSE UCU branch

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Dear UCU and other union colleagues at LMU, I wish you the very best in your struggle.
Yours in solidarity, Steve Ludlam

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Dear Vice-Chancellor,

I am prompted to write to you having received the news that you are to close the International Institute for the Study of Cuba.

As an academic I am of course familiar in outline with the unacceptable position in which London Met has been placed, and I wish you well in your unenviable task of recovery.

However, as an academic in the field of the study of Cuba and Latin America, I must say I am astonished that you are closing an Institute that had rapidly established itself as a leading centre in its field in Europe, not only in terms of its scholarly impact, but in terms of the network of policy and other specialists who have visited, given seminars at, and engaged with the Institute and its journal. The Institute has forged valuable links in the Americas north and south, and become a point of reference for students and academics, and increasingly for policy and economic actors and other institutions seeking guidance and insights.

I must say that I felt London Met had pulled off a coup in setting up this Institute with such strong intellectual resources, and establishing such a long-term asset for the University. I very much hope that you will reconsider this decision.

Regards,

Steve Ludlam
Senior Vice-President, Sheffield University and College Union

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On behalf of City of Westminster College UCU branch, I would like to express our support for your members and condemn in the strongest possible terms the behaviour of your management, who appear to be taking decisions against the long term interest of the college, as a result of problems created by their own financial incompetence and resulting in a massive reduction in the workforce, without meaningful consultation, and in the worst possible economic climate for those concerned, without even the very limited protection of the usual redundancy terms on offer in the rest of the sector.

Louise Orrock

Branch Secretary

City of Westminster Branch

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Good luck in your action - the staff are the most valuable resource of a University - so why would a University want to damage its own resources?

Dr Simon J. James
Senior Lecturer,
Durham University

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I am writing on behalf of Hackney NUT, in order to offer our support for your strike against massive redundancies and a subsequent attack on the quality of the education offered to your students. Members in my own school, Stoke Newington, have also asked me to send their support.We are appalled that the university management is refusing to use money it has in order to protect jobs and education at the university, in a time of rising unemployment among young adults. We are also aware that London Met has, for many years, been a place where many people, particularly from black and ethnic minorities, have been able to pursue their education, often after negative experiences earlier in their lives in schools and colleges, and we believe the proposed cuts to be an attack on people’s rights to an education. Good luck tomorrow.Yours sincerely,

Jane Bassett, On behalf of Hackney NUT

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Just a note to say best wishes for your industrial action tomorrow. I'm sure members at London Met will be encouraged by the recent success at Doncaster College, where restructuring plans have been withdrawn. Employers can only get away with mismanagement and financial incompetence for so long. I hope you have a well-supported and effective strike, which makes your Governors and management realise they have to abandon plans for redundancies and instead protect educational provision at London Met.

In solidarity,

Elizabeth Lawrence, Vice Chair HE Committee

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Dear colleagues please give my support to all the members on strike today to defend their jobs at London Met and also my apologies as I was one of the governors who appointed Brian Roper as VC of UNL!

Hugh Kerr former MEP and ex NATFHE secretary at UNL

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The following message was unanimously passed at a meeting of BirminghamUniversity UCU members today, Wednesday 6th May 2009.
"This meeting of Birmingham University UCU members condemns themismanagement at London Metropolitan University which is now being usedas an excuse to cut 550 FTEs in jobs. BUCU expresses its solidaritywith London Met UCU in its fight to defend jobs by taking industrialaction."
Kind regards,

Marilyn Luck, UCU Office University of Birmingham

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Please accept this message of support from the London College of Fashion UCU branch. Your struggle against job cuts has our full support. Your fight is our fight.Yours in solidarity
Tony Sullivan - Branch Secretary LCF UCU

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To UNISON and UCU, London Metropolitan University I am writing to offer the support of UNISON London Voluntary Organisations Branch in your battle against massive redundancies and an obdurate management. Unimaginable sums of money have been thrown at the bankers who created the current crisis, yet we are constantly told that there is no money for essential jobs and services. The cuts that you are battling threaten to greatly reduce the opportunities for access to higher education for thousands of people across north and east London, and your campaign is an excellent example of unions standing together to beat off attacks on our jobs and services. In the voluntary sector we're all too familiar with the consequences of financial mis-management being taken out on the workers and service users, and we fully support your demands for the government to intervene and give London Met the necessary funding. All the best for your strike on Thursday, and we will be publicising your demonstration on the 23rd among our members. Please keep us informed about the progress of the campaign. In solidarity, Charlie Hore, Secretary, UNISON London Voluntary Organisations Branch

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Keele UCU wishes LMU UCU a successful strike on 7 May, leading to victory in your campaign to save jobs and courses.
Very best wishes.
Mike Ironside, Chair of SEMS Action Committee, Keele UCU.

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I'm a retired UCU member from Manchester Met, formerly branch chair and shop steward.
I can't get to your picket line, I'm afraid, but just wanted to send best wishes to your members in their fight to save jobs.
Sack the managers, keep the staff!
Colin Barker

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All the best for your strike on Thursday. We have our AGM tomorrow and I will propose a message of support from the branch. Let me know if there is anything you would like us to do.In solidarity,

Graham Kirkwood, Centre for International Public Health Policy, University of Edinburgh

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Dear Staff at London Met university, We would like to give our wholehearted backing to the staff at London Met University who have voted decisively to take action to defend their jobs and the future of the University itself.

The proposals from your managers for upto a quarter of the jobs at London Met to be lost would be a disaster for higher education in your Uni, but also other Universities around the country.
We need more opportunities for students, not less.We need more resources in higher education, not less.If your action defends your jobs and University's future, then we hope there will also be more confidence amongst other University staff, who are also feeling under threat of cuts in jobs, and courses.

You have our wholehearted support. Good Luck. Yours in Solidarity,
Dr Kay Phillips, RESPECT national chair

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Our executive sends a message of uinequivocal support for London Met UCU members' struggle against the swingeing cuts proposed, ostensibly in order to correct the extraordinary errors of management. We send greetings in solidarity with your strike tomorrow and wish you all every success. We are not able to send a presence tp your picket lines but please let us know what else would be useful. In unity,

Maeve Landman (on behalf the UWE branch and for its executive committee)

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Why should we pay for their crisis? Make the bosses redundant. Your fight is our fight!Best wishes & solidarity to London Met striking staff & students.

Julian Thomas Branch Chair & Patrick McCann Branch Secretary Uxbridge College UCU

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UNISON members in the London Fire Authority congratulate UCU members at London Metropolitan University on your strike yesterday. You have our full support in your fight to defend your jobs and education opportunities for working class people. Workers in both private and public sectors need to fight together to resist the effects of the economic crisis which will mean massive cuts in pay, jobs and the services we provide unless we fight back. In the fire service, we have already experienced cuts in the current financial year and are gearing to fight even worse cuts in a few months. We have a branch meeting on Tuesday, 19 May at 12.30 pm at the address below. You would be very welcome to send a speaker. Regards,

Tony Phillips, Branch Secretary UNISON LFEPA, Clerkenwell Fire Station
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Dear Comrades,

I am writing on behalf of Whitechapel firefighters to offer support in your fight to defend your jobs and service. New Labour's promise of education, education, education has been replaced with sleaze, war and cuts. Why should ordinary folk be forced to pay? The only power we have to defend our jobs and services is our collective ability to strike and protest. That is why your action is so important - it is a strategy for victory and an example to all who want to fight back. We face our own fight in the fire service and firefighters should recognise that this fight is part and parcel of your fight to defend education. Solidarity across the working class is key. Best of luck with your strike and protest today. United we stand.

Neale Williams
Chair Whitechapel FBU
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Dear sisters and brothers,

We wish you victory in your fight against redundancies at London Met. While the situation is not a direct consequence of the recession is it is a product of fat cats awarding themselves bonuses while corruption and underhand 'accounting' runs rife. Bankers aren't the only ones well rehearsed in deception and greed.

We must make sure that we don't pay for the crisis that their system is bringing on us. The fight for jobs is the fight for our future.

Solidarity forever!

Kirstie Paton (president) on behalf of Greenwich NUT
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Dear London Metropolitan UNISON members

It is terrible news to hear of the 226 compulsory redundancies at your
University in a time of deep economic recession. The fact that this has
been made possible as a result of errors of management makes it doubly
offensive.

Anyone with two brain cells can think of a number of potential savings of
tens of billions of pounds which could be made instead of cutting
educational staff with the inevitable drop in service to students which this
will entail.

Best wishes,
Marie Parker
Member, UCL UNISON
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Dear London Met!

The Arts Group sends it's greetings and sympathy with the issues you face. The catastrophic failure of the funding system in this case sadly highlights the problem with the current system, but particularly around institutions in areas like London, and for those teaching with strong specialist subject areas (In particular the Arts, which make up around 7% of London Met according to the HESA Stats). The HE funding system is grossly flawed, the number of students crammed into facilities across the country is increasingly worrying, and the poor planning in a system based around debt and student numbers bares out in the barrage of cuts and poor satisfaction ratings. In the face of a flawed funding system, even with exceptional staff commitment and skill we cannot expect to see a sustainable University sector.

We hope some of your student reps can join us for our next meeting on July 10th at Loughborough SU to talk about issues effecting students of the Arts nationally.

Regards,

Kit Friend Esq. Chair of The Arts Group Representation & Action for Students of the Arts http://www.artsgroup.org.uk
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Good luck today and support from City University branch.

John Saunders
On behalf of
City University UCU Branch President
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We send you our solidarity from Tower Hamlets UNISON.

Our members at Tower Hamlets College and St. Paul's Way School are also engaged in battles to defend jobs and education.

It is appalling that workers and students are expected to pay the price for management's failings.

Even worse that education should face huge cuts in the teeth of a recession.

Any government that finds billions to bail out bankers should ensure that education is defended.

Good luck today. If we all need to take action next term we hope and believe our unions should coordinate it.

Unity is strength.

John McLoughlin
Branch Secretary
Tower Hamlets UNISON Branch
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Dear UCU London Met,

I have been instructed by the University of Stirling branch executive of UCU to convey to you our dismay at management's behaviour at your institution and convey to your our full support.

All the best,

Eric

Dr Eric Shaw

Secretary UCU

School of History and Politics

University of Stirling

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Hi
Good luck with the strike.
A victory at London Met will be a blow against austerity for all of us.
Meanwhile MPs are quibbling about paying back their gardening expenses! They should cut their own grass, or maybe their lawns are too big?

In solidarity
Graham Kirkwood
Asst Sec UCU Edinburgh University

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Good luck with your joint strike action this week against the truly horrific proposed redundancies at London Met. The very fact that you are standing up and fighting back against such an attack is inspirational. The UCU members in my own college are involved in a battle against our management's attempts to solve its financial problems at our expense and every example of education workers fighting back helps raise our members' spirits. I firmly believe that if we fight we can win. All power to your campaign.

In solidarity,

Dave Gibson (Barnsley College UCU secretary)

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Dear Colleagues and UCU members at London Met,

I am writing to you from the University of Wolverhampton UCU branch to express our support for your continuing struggle against redundancies at London Metropolitan University . At Wolverhampton we have watched with admiration as well as concern the battle that you continue to fight to defend not only your jobs but also the value of the educational principles on which new universities were founded. You are probably aware that at Wolverhampton our management is now proposing 250 redundancies (10% of total staff) for reasons very similar to those offered at London Met. Although these redundancy levels are less than those proposed at London Met they will still cause irreparable damage to our university and we and you have a vital interest in drawing strength from one another. We congratulate UCU members and representatives at London Met for their resolute and sustained campaign against redundancies. We have no hesitation in offering you our support and hope that we, and UCU and UNISON members at other universities faced with managements seeking to push the blame for their problems onto their staff, can work together to lift this threat to the institutions that we have fought so hard to build. Good luck with your ongoing campaigns and actions.

Best wishes,

Loraine Westcott

Chair- UCU Negotiating Committee

University of Wolverhampton

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Hi Mark,

Just sending a message of support for your couple of days strikes. I live in Kilburn and have supported picket lines at Kilburn and Dollis Hill strikes. I am a member of the Socialist Worker Party, and Branch Chair of Hillingdon Public Services Unite Union. From what I have read about London Met (and heard when I did go to one of your picket lines) it seems to be run at the top by people who earn too much money, and dont care about their employees, students, or services.

Revolution would be nice!

Yours In Solidarity,
CLARENCE JACKMAN

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Solidarity greetings to UCU and UNISON members at LMU from Islington teachers.

Your fight is part of the opening round of a battle all public sector workers are going to have to fight in coming months to defend their jobs and the services they provide, whoever wins next year's general election.
Tower Hamlets College lecturers have shown us how to fight and win.

We wish you the same success.
Ken Muller (Assistant Secretary)

On behalf of Islington National Union of teachers

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Hello,

I am a lecturer at Tower Hamlets College. I would like to wish you all the best in your campaign to avert cuts in jobs and classes. I shall be on the Holloway Road picket tomorrow evening.

Yours,

Wojtek Dmochowski

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Dear London Met UCU,

We are writing to express our continued support for the action you aretaking against redundancies and cuts at London Metropolitan University. Wehave encouraged our colleagues to support the greylisting and to drawattention to the horrific attacks on provision of quality education atLondon Met. We are delighted that you are taking such decisive action andhope that the campaign will force management to come to their senses andto realise that their staff are an indispensable asset. Your action is allthe more important given the scale of cutbacks across HE and a victory atLondon Met would be an inspiration for everyone fighting for highereducation.

in solidarity,

Goldsmiths UCU

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Solidarity greetings from UCU Branch at Chesterfield College.

We congratulate our brothers and sisters at London Met in your courageous fight to defend both your jobs and the educational opportunities of the communities that you serve.Right the way across both further and higher education the market driven vandals of the education world are out to slash and burn provision and jobs. We in FE face our own challenges and our members in colleges up and down the country have been inspired by the recent victory against job losses won by decisive action of our members at Tower Hamlets. We all know that a victory for you your fight to challenge redundancies in HE will also strengthen us.keep up the good fight.

Adele Potten-Price
Branch secretary Chesterfield College UCU

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More to come...