Students & Workers Fight the Cuts!

Bulletin no. 26, 16 November 2010

It was great to see the joint UCU & NUS demonstration against sky-high fees and HE cuts, with 50,000 mainly students but also education workers marching through London. A little of what happens when a union leadership take a national lead. Perhaps this might inspire our collective unions to instigate a demonstration this year? The day surpassed the expectations of those organising it with its frustratingly short but incredibly lively demonstration.

Apparently NUS are now putting forward the idea to push out Liberal Dem MP's who vote for the fees; little is said about what position Labour would actually take on this. Meantime, many other students are organising to Walk out next Wed 24th Nov, with Sussex University are already in occupation. http://on.fb.me/en83Ct

Bob Crow (RMT) said "The political and chattering classes have seriously underestimated the public mood and RMT will work with students, pensioners, communities and our fellow trade unionists to build the strongest possible co-ordinated and peaceful resistance in the coming months."

Over 50 people are being questioned around the storming of Tory HQ, whilst the real criminals are still getting away with stealing our collective wealth & futures. http://on.fb.me/fIwCok

UPDATES:
Over 200 people lobbied Liverpool Council last week, whilst the workforce blocked roads. Ex Deputy leader of the surcharged Liverpool 47 councillors called on the Labour council to refuse to carry out cuts, arguing there was a choice; refuse to weild the Tory axe, set a budget based on the needs of working class people in the city and mount a massive campaign to force central government to fund it. Councillors can no longer be surcharged for taking this stance. Another 100 greeted Taunton council with boos and chants as they arrived to approve £43m of cuts.

A large, and positive, meeting to set up an all Scottish Anti cuts alliance/federation was well attended with a steering group agreed, one person from each campaign. Co-ordinated action was discussed with Glasgow Unison tabling a resolution at Scottish Unison Conference for a one day public sector strike.