Education cuts could lead to colleges and universities closing

National release:

The University and College Union (UCU) today warned that massive funding cuts to colleges and universities could lead to institutions being forced to close across the country.

Responding to this afternoon’s comprehensive spending review, the union said the full extent of the cuts would become clearer in the next few days, but that it was appalled that education maintenance allowances were at risk and funding to help non-English speakers learn the language will be scrapped.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “It is hard to see the rationale behind slashing college and university budgets when they generate massive economic growth for the country and when the alternative is more people on the dole and the state losing out on millions in tax revenues.

“We are appalled to learn that education maintenance allowances are at risk and funding for people who do not speak English is being abolished. The simple message here seems to be ‘don’t be poor’.

“It was interesting that George Osborne chose to start his CSR by saying that he did not wish to saddle our children with debts the government was not willing to pay. He clearly has not read last week’s Browne review of university funding.

“It’s no good the chancellor describing universities as the jewel in our economic crown and then following those warm words up with massive cuts. Every MP with a college or university in or near their constituency should be clear that the cuts will put those institutions at risk.”

The University and College Union and the National Union of Students have organised a national demonstration against the cuts in central London on Wednesday 10 November.

Have you got your ticket?

UCU and NUS (National Union of Students) are jointly organising a national demo, 'Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts' on Wednesday 10 November 2010, in central London.

The demo is part of our strategy to influence the Coalition Government. NUS and UCU firmly believe that education changes the lives of individuals, families and communities. Education and skills will also be key to our economic recovery.

Staff and students in further and higher education are coming together to build an unprecedented coalition to fight against the cuts that have been imposed upon our communities, as well as to resist the prospect of higher fees and increasing privatisation in education.

UCU at MMU has organised coaches in conjunction with NUS. Coaches will be leaving on 10^th November at 6.30am from central Manchester. You can buy a ticket from your site rep, or by emailing c.vie@mmu.ac.uk. Join us on this historic joint demonstration and help us build the strongest possible opposition to the proposed cuts to educational opportunities and provision.

Manchester Campaign Against the Cuts

The campaign in defence of Education got off to a tremendous start in Manchester with a rally in All Saints Park called by UCU, UNISON, GMB and the NUS and supported by Manchester Right to Work, RMT and Manchester Trades Council. Speakers from UCU, UNISON and NUS outlined the devastating effects which the Browne recommendation would result in, if carried out: mass privatisation of HE, every job in HE under threat and the return of HE as an elitist and discriminatory privilege. UCU warned that Browne would encourage competitiveness between and within institutions, with some universities joining the race to the bottom, offering budget courses to overcrowded lecture theatres – courses in employability, written by managers but taught by a casualised and alienated workforce. The NUS voiced their outrage and anger at the theft of the future of a generation – when those currently in power will deny future generations of the educational opportunities which they themselves have enjoyed. Speakers from Right to Work linked the attacks on education to the wider attacks on the public sector. This was followed by an energetic meeting at Manchester Trades Council at which NUS and UCU delegates from all Manchester institutions were able to work on continuing the joint campaign in defence of education.

Activists' Diary

National Demo Fund Our Future

UCU and NUS (National Union of Students) are jointly organising a national demo, 'Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts' on Wednesday 10 November 2010, in central London. The demo is part of our strategy to influence the Coalition Government. NUS and UCU firmly believe that education changes the lives of individuals, families and communities. Education and skills will also be key to our economic recovery. Staff and students in further and higher education are coming together to build an unprecedented coalition to fight against the cuts that have been imposed upon our communities, as well as to resist the prospect of higher fees and increasing privatisation in education.
UCU at MMU has organised coaches in conjunction with NUS. Coaches will be leaving on 10th November at 6.30am from central Manchester. You can buy a ticket from your site rep, or by emailing c.vie@mmu.ac.uk. Join us on this historic joint demonstration and help us build the strongest possible opposition to the proposed cuts to educational opportunities and provision.

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LGBT members’ annual conference

Saturday 20 November 2010 The annual LGBT members' conference will be held on Saturday 20 November 2010 from 10.00-4.30 at UCU head office, Carlow Street, London NW1 7LH. The conference is open to all UCU LGBT members and is free of charge. More information at ucu.org.uk or from MMU Branch.

DEFEND JOBS DEFEND EDUCATION

How can we stop the cuts in Higher Eucation?

Higher Education is under attack. When management at MMU announced 127 redundancies, they were following university bosses across the country who have announced cuts and job losses.

But education workers and student are uniting to fight back. We don't want the vision of education on offer - we want Universities that can deliver for staff and students.

Come to this public meeting to discuss the attacks and how we can resist and win.

Thursday 21st January, 5pm

John Dalton Building

MMU (opposite the BBC building on Oxford Road)

Supported by UNISON, GMB and UCU

Joint Trade Union Statement in response to proposed redundancies at MMU December 15th 2009

The trades unions at Manchester Metropolitan University – UNISON, GMB, UCU – have this morning been notified of proposals for redundancies, initially of 127 support staff. We are outraged at this news and wish to make it clear to the public, the students and the staff of MMU, that we do not accept the need for these drastic measures and that we intend to resist any and all compulsory redundancies.

We have not been given evidence of any immediate financial crisis at MMU that could be used to justify such job losses. We have been told that this current and future governments are likely to reduce public spending in future, and this may require efficiency savings in universities. In this situation what is needed is a clear vision for the future of the university and a consistent dialogue with staff trades unions about how to develop the organization. Instead we are faced by a reduction in trades union facilities, in a clear attack on trade union organisation at Manchester Metropolitan University.

We will be consulting our members on a vote of No Confidence in the Vice-Chancellor. The current senior management team have presided over a chaotic re-organisation of administrative structures; and a series of u-turns on the university strategy for campus development. We have no confidence in their ability to take the University forward or in their justifications for redundancies.

Redundancies amongst support staff will have a negative impact on the experience students have whilst at University. Students deserve decent services and these need to be adequately staffed. Many of our staff live locally and this proposal will also damage the university’s reputation in the local community.

At a time when billions of pounds of public money has been spent on propping up the banking system, we need to fund our universities too. Higher education is more than ever about providing a future for our young people and for our communities – MMU has a proud tradition of widening participation and this is something the trades unions intend to defend. The trade union vision for this university is one where students really do come first, where people are seen as more important than buildings, and where staff are recognized for their commitment to education.

We will fight to defend jobs and education

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