United strike action at London Met Uni on 2nd July

Photo (c) Guy Smallman

• UNISON members vote 71% in favour of strike action
  
• UCU members to take further strike action in coordination with UNISON
  
• 2nd July set for combined union day of action
  
• Pickets all morning set to close down London Met Uni for a day
  
• Rally at Lunchtime (with this space for details)

We are still all reeling from the recent announcements from management that our governors are refusing to listen to staff views and that in consequence they are giving permission for management to impose compulsory redundancies. However, our anger needs to be targeted. The redundancies are not a fait accompli and we have every reason to continue to fight. As we discussed in branch meetings and via email communication, there are still several weapons in our arsenal. The news in the Times Higher Education that HEFCE may be more implicated in the fiasco than we realised, offers yet another reason to maintain our principled position against rushed and ill-planned job losses.

One of the main strengths of our campaign to save jobs and defend education at London Met is that we have been united from the start. When UCU took strike action in May UNISON stood shoulder-to-shoulder with them and provided the maximum amount of solidarity we legally could pending our own industrial action ballot. And when students occupied their department bulding over course closures, both UCU and UNISON supported their legitimate protest.

It is with satisfaction that we are able to report that UNISON members have now overwhelmingly (over 71%) voted for industrial action and have announced to members that they will be taking strike action on Thursday July 2nd.

As a result of that decision, and in line with UCU’s ballot mandate, and the position unanimously passed at recent UCU members meetings, UCU notified management that their members will join UNISON colleagues. They we will also be taking strike action on Thursday 2nd July (see UCU press release). UNISON and UCU have chosen this date to avoid hitting student assessment in order to enable our students to join us. Please urge your students to support our strike, to join us in collecting signatures outside the main doors of most buildings and to participate in our rally at lunchtime on Thursday (details here).

Please also bear in mind that to be effective, we need to make as much noise as possible. We need members outside each entrance all morning and at the rally at lunchtime.

Please pass this on to your union contacts, to your friends and family and urge them to join us and show solidarity with our strike. Our fight is your fight.

Contacts us via UCU or UNISON, and come to our pickets and rally on Thursday to show your support.