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The theme of this message, and the motion below in Appendix 1, is staff-student solidarity.

NUS Demo

The National Union of Students has called a national demonstration in London on March 2nd under the bannerÌý.

A motion in Appendix 1 below asks the branch to support that demonstration and to try to ensure we strike on that day (if we are in dispute and in a position to do so). We will take this motion at our General Meeting today.

Student Union Referendum

The Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø Student Union Referendum on whether the Student Union should support UCU strikes in 2021-22 has ended with aÌý3:2 vote in favour of supporting staff strikesÌý(with a 5,000+ turnout).

This overturns a previous decision to oppose strikes made by Student Union officers rather than the students themselves. We place on record our thanks to Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø students, in particular to those student activists who made this result possible.

Solidarity Conference

On Saturday January 29th (12-3pm) there will be a Staff-Student Solidarity Conference hosted by the UCU Solidarity Movement. At our last General Meeting we voted to support this conference. More information is in Appendix 2.

Speakers include Vicky Blake (UCU President), Stephen Reicher (iSAGE, St Andrews), Goldsmiths UCU, RCA UCU, and Columbia University (NY) strikers.Ìý.

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø UCU Executive Committee

@ucl_ucu

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø UCU

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Appendix 1: Motion - Solidarity with Students / NUS Demonstration

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø UCU resolves to:

1. send our thanks to the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø Student Union for their referendum result.
2. call on members to show their solidarity with students and mobilise to support the NUS Demonstration on March 2nd, 2022, under the banner ‘A New Vision for Education’.
3. formally ask UCU Higher Education Committee Officers to agree that, if we are in a position to progress the Four Fights dispute with a strike, that UCU calls a strike day to coincide with this demonstration.

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Appendix 2: UCU Solidarity Conference: Building the Action we Need to Win

Saturday 29 January 12 noon - 3pm

The format of Saturday’s Conference has been adjusted to reflect the urgent debates that need to happen in our union(s). UCU strikes in 58 universities mobilised before Xmas and 12 new branches have mandates for action. We had originally expected to be organising this conference on the eve of UK-wide strike action, however now the situation is more complex.

Come to the conference to debate the way forward.

Agenda

12 - 1.30pm Session 1: Pay Justice, Pensions & Resisting Marketisation

Chair: Peta Bulmer (Liverpool University UCU)

Speakers: Vicky Blake (UCU President), Sky Morrison (Liverpool University student), Emma Rose (NEU NEC), Sara Bafo (Goldsmiths SU President), Akansha Mehta and Grace Will (Goldsmiths UCU), Stephen Reicher (University of St. Andrews and iSAGE), Cecilia Wee (RCA UCU)

1.30 - 3pm Session 2: Building Solidarity & Fighting Precarity

Chair: Nathan Francois (RCA UCU)

Speakers: Juliana Ojinnaka (Chair, UCU Black Members' Committee), Columbia University (USA) strikers, Rhian Keyse (UCU Anti-Casualisation Committee), Rania Obead (Sudanese Uprising Support Group), Organiser, students’ Red Square Movement, Sharifah Rahman (Leeds University student)

Hosted by theÌý.

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