Lambeth College: striking to defend education

T
he decision by UCU members at Lambeth College to launch an all out strike was absolutely right. That action will be even stronger if Unison members vote to strike too. The draconian new contracts will hit the conditions of sta of course, but theyll also badly aect the education of students. Lambeth College represents a poor working class area. Its ESOL classes are vital for migrant communities. For many students Lambeth oers a second chance for a good education. But the sell o of the Brixton site shows why its only the unions and the community who can be trusted to defend the colleges future.
Tube workers picket London Bridge this week. Photo: Guy Smallman

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Back in 2009 an all-out strike by UCU members at Tower Hamlets College received huge support from across the movement and stopped compulsory redundancies.

Lambeth College sta, UCU and Unison members, can win this ght. Its crucial that strikers get out into the movement fast to raise solidarity and put their case. UCU has to build huge support for this strike. Every employer and every union member in further education will be looking at the result. Thats why this is a ght that has to be won for sta, students and the whole community.

Time

Back these ghts

Unison members at Care UK in Doncaster will strike for two more weeks from 5 May against huge pay cuts. UCU members at Lambeth College start an indenite strike on 1 May, over a contract dispute. Workers at Ritzy cinema in Brixton are ghting for a living wage. These workers need your solidarity. Rush messages of support and requests for reps to speak at your union branch to: Care UK: admin@unison-dab.org.uk Ritzy: ritzylivingwage@gmail.com Lambeth College: mandybrowncow@yahoo.com

Crude

Management have made several pretty crude attempts to divide and rule the workforce. There have been yers to all sta and students urging members not to strike and claiming that striking against attacks on contracts damages the college. But any crisis in college nances is due to a combination of government funding cuts and austerity, previous mismanagement of nances and signicant over-borrowing to pay for poorly researched projects. Thats why its right to organise hard-hitting strike action now to defend our college. In recent weeks extended strikes at Edinburgh College (EIS), Ealing hospital (GMB) and by cleaners at SOAS university (Unison) have all brought victories. Workers at CareUK in Doncaster start a further two weeks of strikes against a massive pay cut on Monday.

Everyone would rather teach than strike. But if there has to be a ght this is a good time to do it. Locally in Lambeth workers at the Ritzy cinema are also striking, for a living wage. More generally were seeing strikes by tube workers, reghters and teachers. Ballots for action are also underway, involving hundreds of thousands of health and local government workers. People are fed up with bullying bosses and years of austerity.

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