Dear all,
Apologies to those not in the UK.
Over the last there has been a clear pattern of repression emerging against any dissent by students, with the videos of heavy handed policing at the University of London occupation, possession orders taken out to make occupations (Birmingham) or the suspension and victimisation of particular students (Sussex). This is setting a serious precedent for the criminalisation of our students who are speaking out against the ongoing neo-liberalisation of the university.
It is important that we collectively speak out about this as academics, not least because these occupations have been in support of our fair pay claim, amongst other issues and because these occupations are the first real incidences of solidarity between staff and students.
A template letter has been created by a number of academics from different universities to send to get local university management to make a commitment not to repress students in the ways we have seen over the last few weeks. As it cannot be attached to this list, it is outlined below.
UCU branches (and preferably NUS as well) are being asked to send it. This week preferably, particularly as 'Cops off Campus' demonstrations have been arranged for this Wednesday as part of a national day of action. I think it would be good to do this ahead of the Leeds protest on Wednesday and wholly support it being sent.
There is also a Facebook group - where information can be shared and people are being asked to report back about the response of their management so that it can be publicised: https://www.facebook.com/groups/238426862991774/
Please also circulate this to as many sympathetic academics as possible and encourage them to send it to their management.
Kate
Dr Kate Hardy
Lecturer
Leeds University Business School
Maurice Keyworth Building
University of Leeds
Leeds
LS2 9JT
I am currently working to rule as part of the UCU's work to contract action short of a strike. I am having to take this action, as following four years of below inflation increases, meaning a dramatic cut in real wages, employers in HE refuse to reasonably negotiate despite the fact that our employers had a combined surplus last year of more than £1.1bn and are sitting on billions of pounds of reserves, around £10bn (even after pension liabilities). For more info go here http://www.ucu.org.uk/hepay13
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http://business.leeds.ac.uk/about-us/faculty-staff/member/profile/kate-hardy/
Dear [University Management],
The last week has seen serious repression and violence against our students on campuses around the country. This includes bans on protest at the University of London, The University of Birmingham and The University of Sussex and arrests of students who engage in demonstrations. This has been accompanied by heavy-handed policing, resulting in hospitalisations of students on the evening of 5th December in London.
These bans and prosecutions violate the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of association. Legal prosecutions and the use of force against our students are unacceptable and set a dangerous and undemocratic precedent.
We believe that the police have no role to play in democratic protest on campus and that students should not be punished for engaging in democratic protest indefence of their education and in solidarity with staff on campus.
As teaching staff, we are writing to you to seek reassurances that you do not oppose democratic protest on campus and that you will not be complicit in acts of violence against your students.
We are asking for a commitment that you will not:
- Be complicit in acts of violence against students or staff, including the heavy-handed policing of protest
- Call for injunctions or possession orders, or other legal actions which ban protest on campus
- Suspend, prosecute or otherwise victimize students or staff for engaging in democratic protests
Yours sincerely,
[UCU Branch or Group of Academics]
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