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Pensions

Strike report day 12 – We’re still here!

Published: 14th March, 2018

Briefly, yesterday the press informed the world that the strike action would be called off from today, but after the proposed deal was rejected, we resolved to stay out on strike. So we were pleased to wake up to a crisp and sunny spring morning, and at last it seemed that the weather was on…

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Why are we still on strike?

Published: 13th March, 2018

Flier produced March 13 to explain UCU branches’ decisive rejection of ‘deal’ proposed by UCU and UUK negotiators on March 12. Available here as PDF and here as Word doc – feel free to adapt as you wish.

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Strike Report – Day 11 (Deal or No Deal?)

Published: 13th March, 2018

Was that the most intense day so far? It’s been an emotional 20 hours. Yesterday evening we learned that our UCU negotiators had struck a deal with their Universities UK counter-parts. UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt was selling it as a good deal – a done deal? But it took no time to work out…

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Strike On A Little While Longer

Published: 13th March, 2018

A short and beautiful film by Matt Allen of our actions at University of Leicester in week 3 of the USS strikes, including footage of students’ occupation of Fielding Johnson building. The soundtrack is a specially-sung version – in three gorgeous parts – of an African-American spiritual ‘Hold On A Little While Longer’.

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Strike Report – Day 10

Published: 12th March, 2018

‘Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets.‘ No doubt many vice-chancellors – including ‘our’ Paul Boyle – have been thinking this… and today they thought that ‘real rain’ had come – ‘this scum’, of course, being their own employees who for the past few weeks have not only…

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Strike Report – Day 9 (IWD)

Published: 12th March, 2018

Today, we celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD)! We started our pickets bright and early like every day, with thoughts of solidarity for the women of Yarl’s Wood still on hunger strike. We organised a new, flying picket as well, to show the less-often picketed departments that we’re still here! A bit before 11, we all…

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Strike Report – Day 8

Published: 10th March, 2018

New fliers were handed out on the pickets telling people about the ‘no deficit’ letter written to The Guardian as the sun – our life-giving star, not the right-wing rag – made a belated appearance. The occupying students enjoyed a breakfast of cold pizza and pasta. There was another carnival atmosphere on the picket, including…

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Strike Report – Day 7

Published: 10th March, 2018

Waking up to Day 7, we learned the student occupiers had a comfortable night in the ‘executive corridor’ of the Fielding Johnson building. Meanwhile Universities UK had experienced a Twitter meltdown. On the picket lines we had a visit from the excellent Red Leicester Choir who helped to raise spirits. Later in the morning we…

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Leicester UCU Message of Support and Solidarity with the Students’ Union

Published: 6th March, 2018

LUCU Message of Support and Solidarity with the SU and Students Occupying the Fielding Johnson Building   Leicester UCU want to extend their deep support and gratitude to the Leicester Students’ Union and all those involved in the occupation of the Fielding Johnson Building. You have set an excellent example to everyone in your actions…

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Statement on Fielding Johnson building violence

Published: 5th March, 2018

We have received some reports of members of University of Leicester security staff threatening physical violence and actually using physical violence against people in the process of peaceably leaving the Fielding Johnson building – which is currently being occupied by University of Leicester students in solidarity with our USS pensions strike. Leicester UCU condemns any…

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