All UCU Members - Call To Strike

UCU Strike - Tuesday 3rd December 2013 What you should do on the strike days.         Join the strike - don’t come into work, or work at home on the strike day.         Join UCU on the picket lines. There will be UCU picket lines at College sites from 7.30 am. Please contact one of the branch officers - Paula Alsop, Allister Mactaggart, James Eaden or Sam Parker . . Taking industrial action- know your rights! The strike action being taken by UCU is fully legal and complies with all of the stringent trade union laws that apply in the UK. As a union member taking legal action you are fully protected by the law. ·         If you are not currently a member of UCU, you can join the union now (up to and including the day of the strike) and you will still be legally covered for participating in the strike action. ·          You are under no obligation to inform your line manager (or anybody else for that matter) that you are (or are not) taking action. ·          You are also not under any obligation to make provision (set work etc) for student groups that will be affected by the action. Any decision to do so is yours alone. ·          Joining picket lines outside of your place of work to show your support for the action or is fully lawful. ·          You will not be discriminated against for supporting your union and taking part in strike action. ·          Part time and hourly paid workers have identical legal rights as full time workers. Discrimination against part-time staff who participate in lawful industrial action is unlawful.

Solidarity

Dear Brothers and sisters In solidarity with your strike at Chesterfield College I wish you all the best with your action.     Working class people are facing the brutality of Tory austerity either as rises in the cost of living, attacks on our pay, pensions and benefits, privatisation of education, health and care services, or jobs losses.     Your strike is part of the growing resistance.  Every action is important and gives confidence to us all to fight.  When bosses like those at the college committed to the market, attack hard won conditions and axe jobs threatening activists with victimisation you have to stand up and say 'NO'.  It also lets the students know that you are committed to education as a right for all, not as a privilege for a few, and helps them counter cuts to grants and resist fees.  Social Work students who come to placements with us would often not have had the chance to get to university to train, were it not for the foundation and social care courses you all provide for working class young people in our town.   Your fight is inspiring to those trade unionists locally who want to be part of a movement against austerity.  Good luck Fraternally Jane Hindle Adult Care Rep (PC) Derbyshire County Council Unison