Support for FE fightback from .Green Party Trade Union group

The Green Party Trade Union group sends support to UCU members striking today in Swindon New College, Peroc College, Lambeth College, Bradford College, Croydon College as part of the campaign for for a decent deal for FE staff 

 ( see https://www.ucu.org.uk/FEfightsback?utm_source=lyr-ucu-members&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=members&utm_term=all&utm_content=Support+the+FE+fightback:+solidarity+with+the+six).

 GPTU recognises that Further Education is an important but often underrated part of the education system which needs proper funding and pay and conditions for its staff especially as the work of FE has an important role in a just transition to a low carbon economy. 

 yours in solidarity Peter Murry 
London Green Parties' Trade Union Liaison Officer pp Green Party Trade Union group

UCU response to life imprisonment of Durham University student in UAE

UCU said the government and universities needed to secure stronger assurances on human rights and the treatment of academics working abroad.

The union was responding to news that Matthew Hedges, a PhD student from Durham University, has been jailed for life in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after travelling to Dubai to conduct research.

The union said that while politicians and universities had been quick to embrace states like the UAE, they needed to make it clear that they would not tolerate attacks on human rights. The University of Birmingham has been under fire recently for watering down a commitment to LGBT rights at its campus in Dubai.

UCU head of policy and campaigns Matt Waddup said: 'The government has a responsibility to ensure that British citizens abroad get treated fairly and receive a fair trial. For a country that we deem as an ally to act like this is unconscionable.

'British universities may be keen to launch overseas campuses in places like the UAE, but this case demonstrates that they need to seek stronger assurances on human rights and the treatment of academics.'

Durham UCU branch president Sarah Elton said: 'We are shocked and horrified at the life sentence given to Matthew. His arrest and imprisonment is a threat to academic freedom and research. We call on the Foreign Office to take immediate steps to secure Matthew's rapid acquittal and release".
Durham University has suspended all field research in the UAE, while lecturers at the University of Exeter, where Hedges did his master’s degree, have voted in favour of an academic boycott and called on the vice-chancellor to suspend all business partnerships with the Gulf state.

Lecturers at the University of Exeter have unanimously backed a motion calling on its vice-chancellor, Prof Sir Steve Smith, to lobby for Hedges’ release and to suspend academic relations with the UAE until his situation is resolved.

João Florêncio, the secretary of the Exeter branch of the University and College Union (UCU), said: “Our members are very worried about Matt Hedges’ predicament and the seeming curtailing of the academic freedom of colleagues travelling to the UAE for work. As such, our general meeting has unanimously called for an academic boycott of the UAE until the situation is satisfactorily resolved. That includes asking that the University of Exeter temporarily suspends its doctoral programme in Dubai and lobbies for the immediate release of Matt Hedges.”

HOUSMANS IN-STORE EVENTS UPDATE

HOUSMANS IN-STORE EVENTS UPDATEA late addition to our events programme:

1. Student discount night at HousmansTuesday, 27th November, 6.30pm onwards

From 6.30pm to 8.30pm come grab a free beer and get a 20% discount off any purchase on display of your student ID at Housmans! 
Facebook event here

2. 'Corbyn: The Resurrection' with Steve Bell
Wednesday 21st November, 7pm
The Guardian's long-time cartoonist Steve Bell will be sharing his thoughts on the state of British politics and we'll have the projector out to show some pictures from his new Corbyn-centered collection too!
Click here for more info

3. AUTONOMY NOW present: 'Great Anarchists' with Ruth KinnaFriday 30^th November, 7pm

Launch of new pamphlet series from Dog Section Press. These short introductions delve into the anarchist canon to recover some of the distinctive ideas that historical anarchists advanced to address problems relevant to their circumstances.
Click here for more info
4. 'Marx Returns' a book launch and discussion with Jason Barker, Alberto Toscano and Matthew Beaumont
Wednesday 5th December, 7pm
Join writer and filmmaker Jason Barker talking about his acclaimed new novel and what the revolutionary life and ideas of Karl Marx might mean for our current political crises. Joining the conversation will be Alberto Toscano (Reader in Critical Theory, Goldsmiths) and Matthew Beaumont (Professor of English Literature, UCL).
Click here for more info
5. The Left Case Against the EU with Costas Lapavitsas 
Saturday 8th December, 7pm
With Brexit negotiations reaching their crunch point by December, join us for what will no doubt be a fascinating discussion on what lies ahead for European politics.
Click here for more info
6. 'A Radical History of the World' with Neil Faulkner
Wednesday 12th December, 7pm
History is a weapon. The powerful have their version of events, the people have another. And if we understand how the past was forged, we arm ourselves to change the future. Join Neil to give an overview of a people's history of the world, compressed into an hour! Based on his new book published by Pluto Press.
Click here for more info
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Why Universal Credit Should Become a Core Trade Union Issue A briefing on Universal Credit, prepared by Waltham Forest Stand Up for your Rights, who have called for a protest against Universal Credit on December 1st, 11am at Chingford Mount [E4 9AA] in the constituency of Ian Duncan Smith, the author of the scheme. Who in the Future will be Affected by Universal Credit (UC)? 1. To date, of the 1 million households now on UC, the vast majority (except in local pilot areas), have been the unemployed. However that is about to change. From now on across the country all new or updated benefit claims (with a few exceptions) including those in work who receive Tax Credits have to be made through UC. 2. DWP also plans to force everyone on benefits (including those on Working and Child Tax Credits) to claim UC even if there has been no change in their circumstances. DWP has refused to initiate transfers of Tax Credit claims on to a UC regime. Instead people have to initiate UC applications, a fraught and costly process. Testing forced transfers, called ‘managed migration’ by DWP, is due to start for some Tax Credit recipients in July 2019. 3. Nationally, DWP’s plans mean 3 in 4 of the planned total of 7 million families on UC, would be in work. So of the estimated 16 million people nationally in families receiving UC, around 12 million would be in working families. Background 4. This note outlines the Department of Work and Pensions’ (DWP) plans on UC as at early November 2018. These plans have changed many times. DWP has said they may change again if more problems with UC come to light. 5. UC has been criticised by welfare and other advice agencies after cases of severe hardship came to light and a series of analyses on the impact of UC especially after funding was cut. Arguably UC has become so discredited that what its future should be and indeed whether it should have a future is a matter for serious political debate. Why have People found the UC Application Process so Fraught? 6. Firstly the forms are very lengthy – running to tens of pages. Secondly DWP want people to fill them in online. Even experienced advisers find the process; setting up accounts, locating and scanning in all the documents which DWP require to ‘verify’ a UC claim, often takes many hours, not counting verification visits to DWP offices. 7. DWP’s own research found barely half could complete the process without help. One in 4 claimants were not able to claim at all without help. Many have found applying for UC more difficult than applying for Tax Credits. The UC application process is most intimidating and unsuitable for those with poor language, writing or IT skills. The process especially frightens those with mental health problems eg anxiety, as DWP’s own research shows. 8. Thirdly the risks, if things go wrong, have been largely put on to the applicant. Imposing on applicants financial penalties arising from the complex UC application process, is unreasonable given the widely known problems people have faced in completing UC applications to DWP’s satisfaction. Government November 2018 changes have reduced, but not removed, risks imposed on people when those on Tax Credits are forced to apply for UC. 9. If people do not successfully apply within 1 month of a DWP deadline they risk losing ‘Transitional Protection’ which protects, for a while, their money if UC pays less than they get with Tax Credits. Further DWP only allow UC claims to be backdated by one month – less than the 3 months allowed for backdating of some benefit claims. Do Tax Credit Recipients lose Money? 10. First of all, UC claimants face gaps in payment imposed by DWP in two stages. The UC system builds in a gap in payments, reduced in the 2018 Budget to a minimum of 3 weeks, after applying for UC. On top of that gap 1 in 5 claimants have faced on average a 4 week delay by DWP (ie on top of the 3 week gap) in receiving some or all of their money. DWP do not expect the % facing additional delays in some UC payment to be reduced during 2018. 11. Indeed there may well a big rise in the current UC claim processing delays by DWP under the strain of a six-fold increase in the rate of new UC claims planned by DWP for 2020 plus the more complicated circumstances of future UC claims with working income and child care costs, (unlike the mainly simpler unemployed cases so far). 12. Secondly amounts paid under UC differ from what working families get on Tax Credits. Some would get more money under UC. But overall working families face a net loss on average of about £250 a year on UC, after the 2018 Budget measures notably the higher work allowances. The Budget reduced, but did not end the losses. 13. UC losses are bigger for (mainly female) single parents, and disabled people loss of Severe Disability Premium. UC hits women more. The combined impact of tax and benefit changes hits women 7 times as severely as men. 14. UC’s Minimum Income Floor has adverse impacts for many self-employed people eg taxi drivers, often BME. 15. Tax and benefit measures in the 2018 Budget only partially offset the overall losses since Summer 2015 from for instance the benefit freeze. Overall tax and benefit changes reduce income just for the lower income groups. Does UC Contribute to a More Hostile Environment for Workers? 16. As well as financial losses, UC can intrude into peoples’ lives. Under the UC regime, workers can be pressed by DWP to job search to increase hours or earnings. This is worse for some eg single parents with child care duties. 17. For the first time workers are now at risk of ‘sanctions’ – loss of benefit. UK has the 2nd most demanding set of ‘benefit conditionality’ terms out of 39 countries. Under UC sanctions are 4 times more frequent than pre-UC. 18. Insisting everyone has to apply for UC online is not user friendly, especially for those nervous of computers. Is Universal Credit Actually Simpler? 19. One advantage claimed for UC is ‘simplification’ with 6 benefits rolled up into 1. The comparison is misleading: no one person ever receives all 6 benefits simultaneously. It is also partial: UC does not include some benefits. The difficulty of making UC claims shows that any ‘simplification’ is not usually to the advantage of applicants. 20. Other aspects of ‘simplification’ may not help people. Paying UC as one payment may be convenient for DWP, but it means women will lose out when all money goes to one person, the higher earner, usually male. At the moment Child Tax Credit and the childcare element of Working Tax Credit typically go to the woman in a family. Women with no direct access to money find it more difficult to leave when facing domestic abuse or violence. Are there Other Benefits of UC? 21. DWP has claimed UC increases work incentives. That is so, but to a very limited extent. For the (1 in 3) people in work facing the highest effective tax rates they are cut from slightly over 90% to 85% with UC. The evidence is such incentives have little effect. Using sanctions implicitly admits that the work incentives are not effective. 22. DWP has argued that benefit take-up will rise under UC. But the user–unfriendly nature of UC, its toxic reputation and what an official report calls DWP’s ‘culture of indifference’, reduce the chances of higher take-up. 23. The DWP says that UC will reduce fraud and error. The NAO report refers to ‘a lack of evidence’ on this claim. Conclusions 24. Government UC plans will increasingly affect people in work. Recent changes to UC have reduced the delays and the financial costs for workers, but not eliminated them. Reducing delays and more funding are not enough to make UC suitable. It is very user-unfriendly and intrudes oppressively into peoples’ lives. A harsh UC regime drives people into taking unsatisfactory work, putting downward pressure on work T&Cs – a core union concern. 25. There is a very strong case for Trade Unions to call on political parties to back ‘Stop and Scrap UC’ and, so long as UC continues, urging councils to minimise the impacts. Some Boroughs have set up information, advice and advocacy services eg Tower Hamlets, and others have committed to not evict tenants in arrears as a result of UC. 26. Pushing more people on to UC should be immediately halted, whilst a fundamental review considers the options. Download a printable version of this briefing…

We work hard to care for service users, where’s the care for us?

I’m writing to you today because my workmates and I are about to have our pay cut. My name’s Tracey and I’m a care worker. I regularly spend nights away from my family caring for those in need. It’s a job I love, but it’s certainly not easy. Care provider AFG has decided to cut our pay, meaning we will earn below the minimum wage on sleep-in shifts. This will leave me and my workmates struggling to make ends meet. This cut will amount to a loss of up to £90 per week for care workers. Over a year we could stand to lose up to £4500. With the support of our union, Unison, we’ve started this petition demanding that AFG reverse this pay cut. Already, more than 1,500 people have signed our petition. We want to show AFG that union members and the community support care workers earning a fair wage. We can’t do this without your support. Sign the petition Morale is at rock bottom, we are all such good workers but the company has shown no loyalty to us. We used to put 110% in. Now we feel worthless. We work hard to care for service users, where’s the care for us? We need your help to win. Kind regards, Tracey Care Workers for Change P.S. Once you've signed the petition, can you share it with your friends and family? Here's the link: https://campaign.goingtowork.org.uk/petitions/care-at-night-pay-us-right

UCU are holding our first day of action for disability equality in education on Wednesday 21 November

UCU are holding our first day of action for disability equality in education on Wednesday 21 November to launch disability history month 2018.

Initiated by UCU’s disabled members’ standing committee, the day of action is all about organising against discrimination and will focus on the challenges and barriers faced by disabled people in education.

The day will culminate in a meeting in parliament. This meeting will have involvement of the TUC and campus unions as well as disability equality campaign groups and organisations, calling for:

·  time limits for the implementation of reasonable adjustments 

·  review of building regulations to ensure that new buildings are fully accessible

·  statutory rights for disability leave

·  the right to access mainstream education and reverse the cuts for special educational needs and disability (SEND).

We need your support to make this event a success! Please contact your branch to see what activities are being planned. You can find out how to support disabled members in your workplace by using the resources and ideas here, including displaying our new wall chart, showing our short film on the social model of disability, or getting involved via social media platforms.

Share this short video clip to promote the day of action.

Please get in touch with us here for further support or with any questions.

Thank you

Elaine Heffernan
UCU national executive committee and chair of disabled members' standing committee

p.s. Disability History Month is supported by a wide range of disability groups, unions and voluntary organisations, and aims to promote disabled people's rights and their struggle for equality now and in the past. Events about disability will be held all around the UK and further information can be obtained here.

an unlikely example of proletarian internationalism?

Thousands of Google staff across the world have staged a series of walkouts in protest at claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism.  

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/01/google-walkout-global-protests-employees-sexual-harassment-scandals

Save Libraries, Museums & Culture March and Rally’,

Alan Wylie

9 hrs

Come and show your solidarity & support on Saturday on the ‘Save Libraries, Museums & Culture March and Rally’, I’ll be there at the start and the end where I’ll be compering the rally 😊✊️

On yer way, Pinochet! The factory workers who fought fascism from Glasgow

On yer way, Pinochet! The factory workers who fought fascism from Glasgow

When Scots refused to service Chile’s jet fighters after the 1973 military coup, their protest all but grounded the air force – and may have saved prisoners’ lives. Nae Pasaran, a powerful documentary, tells their story

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/01/on-your-way-pinochet-factory-workers-fought-fascism-from-glasgow-chile-coup-nae-pasaran

DEMONSTRATION AGAINST FASCISM AND RACISM SAT 17 NOV

NATIONAL UNITY DEMONSTRATION AGAINST FASCISM AND RACISM
SAT 17 NOV | 12.00
LONDON
Facebook Event » 

Organised by: Stand Up To Racism, Unite Against Fascism and LoveMusic HateRacism

We are experiencing the biggest rise in support for fascism, the far right, racism, Islamophobia and Antisemitism since the 1930s. In Britain fascists and racists are mobilising on a scale not seen for decades. We must unite against this threat. A range of national figures are supporting this national demonstration. We will shortly update with more details.

The demonstration is initiated by Stand Up To Racism, co-sponsored by Unite Against Fascism and LoveMusic HateRacism, and supported by Diane Abbott MP and John McDonnell MP amongst others. More details will follow.