Universities

Stop bans at universities

The proclivity for censorship in some student unions isn’t going away. University College London Union has refused to allow Macer Gifford to speak. He is a British man who last year travelled to Rojava, Kurdistan, to fight with the YPG against Daesh. Reasons given by the student union included that they were afraid that him speaking “could lead to others going and fighting in the conflict”. Where does this logic end? Should no meetings be held to discuss conflicts? Should we stop the British Army having stalls at freshers’ fair in case someone goes to “fight in conflicts”? Why are soldiers...

Fight education cuts!

Students and staff at colleges are fighting cuts, out-sourcing and privatisation. The 2010 tuition fee hike to £9,000 has meant students graduating this year have debts of £40,000 and upwards. Astronomical international fees mean that non-UK students will be saddled with more than £100,000. Another fee hike is expected in the next few years. Russell Group universities have been agitating for such a hike, with some calling for uncapped fees. As funding for non-STEM subjects has been dramatically cut, universities are seeking pull in more money through fees. Other universities, such as the...

Industrial news in brief

SOAS Unison branch secretary Sandy Nicholl has been suspended from his job, leading to staff and student protests for his reinstatement. Sandy spoke to Solidarity : SOAS students have been in occupation for over three weeks against threats to cut up to 180 courses, one third of those on offer, as part of a £6.5 million annual cuts package. These cuts could see up to 50 academic jobs going together with a similar number of support staff posts. The students also oppose the proposals by SOAS to sign a new contract extending the outsourcing of the cleaning staff, demanding instead that these...

Greer, “no-platforming” and trans-inclusive feminism

Students at Cardiff University recently started a petition demanding that Germaine Greer be banned from speaking at the university. They have, as a result, brought the opposing political perspectives of trans-exclusive radical feminists, and queer and trans activists into the public eye. Greer is rightly criticised for a long history of transphobic remarks, both in her books and in public statements. She has consistently denied that trans women are women, having called trans women a “ghastly parody” of femaleness. “No-platforming” is more and more being adopted as the weapon of choice by...

Bahar Mustafa: charges dropped

Charges against the left-wing, feminist activist Bahar Mustafa, for ironically tweeting #kill all white men, have been dropped. Those charges — sending a communication conveying a threatening message — were ridiculous and inappropriate. It seems that the campaign to defend Bahar, and arguments in favour of free speech have won out. That’s good. The decision should give us confidence to debate the politics of, and campaign for, a generalised defence of free speech against institutional, state and other forms of repression.

­­Government to victimise more

I submitted a subject access request last year to the University of Birmingham, where I studied, for all data containing my name. It came back with correspondence between Peter Clarke, retired head of Counter Terrorism Command in the London Met, and lead officer on the Trojan Horse investigation in Birmingham, my university management and West Midlands police, all identifying me in a video of a student protest in London from 2013. This is a protest where I was not arrested, let alone charged. My only previous interaction with police had been when I had given my name following a protest against...

Defend Bahar Mustafa!

The bringing of criminal charges against the left-wing, feminist activist Bahar Mustafa, apparently for tweeting using the ironic hash tag “kill all white men”, is both ridiculous and outrageous. Bahar was the subject of a huge media storm some months ago over this issue and the “offence” of helping to organise a one-off BME women-only meeting at Goldsmiths University, where she is a student union officer. Scores of right-wingers, men's rights activists, and others who were misinformed and/or over-opinionated got on her case, on social media and elsewhere. Bahar was the focus of a nasty...

Industrial news in brief

Strikers at the National Gallery, London, returned to work on Monday 5 October after 111 days on strike. They have secured a deal which protects members’ terms and conditions and sees their sacked PCS rep reinstated. The deal, which was made on Friday 2 October, does not stop the privatisation of gallery services but is a big climb down by gallery management in most areas, and the gallery has agreed to review the private contract after one year Sacked PCS rep Candy Udwin will be reinstated. Staff will be paid the living wage, which will also be uprated on basic pay in future years. Guarantees...

Industrial news in brief

Workers in Barnet will strike on 7 October in an ongoing fight against privatisation. Social workers, coach escorts, drivers, occupational therapists, schools catering staff, education welfare officers, library workers, children centre workers, street cleaning and refuse workers will strike on 7 October as their services face outsourcing. These workers are some of the only ones left directly employed by Barnet council after mass privatisation, as the “easycouncil” aims to reduce its directly employed staff to less than 300. Barnet council has already privatised social care for adults with...

Industrial news in brief

PCS members fighting privatisation at the National Gallery voted on 24 July for all-out strike from the start of August if the gallery does not back down. Workers have already struck for more than 50 days, as well as holding various stunts, parties and protests inside and outside the gallery. Workers will strike again on Wednesday 29 July and are holding an “alternative leaving party” for outgoing gallery director on Thursday 30 July. Sacked PCS rep Candy Udwin was due to have her appeal hearing with the gallery on 22 July, after being vindicated by a judge who said that a “tribunal would most...

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