This is the resignation letter of Robinson, one of the Senate House cleaners. For background see https://bloomsburyfightback.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/unison-vs-the-workers/ and for another speech by Robinson see https://bloomsburyfightback.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/robinsons-speech-we-are-not-frightened-by-the-difficulties-we-are-not-daunted-by-threats-we-will-not-surrender/ On the 10th of April, 2013, I received an email from X on behalf of UNISON Senate House Branch. In this email I was notified of my position of steward … Continue reading
Last week, Unison declared the University of London branch election null and void. The cancellation of this election is an attack on the 3 Cosas campaign, and the workers whose courage has been an inspiration to activists across London. Over the past few years, the outsourced cleaners of the University of London have been at … Continue reading
Three weeks ago, on February 5th, the 3 Cosas Campaign held a protest at Senate House, University of London. The demonstration was called by outsourced workers from across Bloomsbury colleges, demanding ’3 things’: pensions, sick pay and holidays in line with that received by in-house staff. The demonstration followed months of flyering and petitioning across campus, … Continue reading
Cross-posted from the Imaginary Party CLOEWG. There are several questions we have all been asking over these last few years: Where will we live? How will we be able to afford such expensive rent in London? How will we find jobs that pay enough to enjoy ourselves and live in comfort? When will we pay back our student debt? How? We must … Continue reading
During the Summer term the largest and possibly angriest meeting of UCU members took place at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Many new members were present as they had been scared into joining by the Schools “In Shape for the future” presentations on Black Friday (30th March). In spite of claiming … Continue reading
Not in our name: Bloomsbury day of action against evictions and poor work conditions at universities On Wednesday 28 November, UCL Council will discuss the university’s proposal for a £1 billion new campus in Stratford. This would mean demolishing Carpenters Estate 300 families currently live. The residents of the estate have rejected the plan. The … Continue reading
Here’s a report from an IoE student, about last week’s demo against Michael Gove, Tory minister in charge of destroying the UK’s schools. Having seen the protest posted on facebook, I went along last Saturday fuelled by hatred for Michael Gove, pleased to go and meet fellow haters and share my disgust that he would … Continue reading
Wednesday 31st October, 6pm-8pm AV Hill Lecture Theatre, UCL main campus (closest station, Euston) On the 24th of October, Newham Council approved UCL’s proposal to build a new campus on the Carpenter’s Estate, despite opposition from residents, leading UCL academics, and UCLU. If UCL doesn’t pull out now or radically revise its plans, this would … Continue reading
Shared services are, simply put, a method for universities to outsource workers to private employers more brutally and cheaply than before. Labelled ‘Shark services’ by the London Met Unison branch, this is a technique which is likely to spread through the public sector (starting it seems with education) and as such is worth close examination. … Continue reading
As Marx satirically depicts the production of capital, the living bodies of workers, their hands, brain, muscle and sinew, are converted into a gelatinous mass of undifferentiated human labour. Such an industrial process cannot be reversed. The finished commodity conceals its origins in concrete human labour. So it is with our universities. The liberal ideal … Continue reading
