Building The Action We Need To Win: Student-Staff Assembly

12-3pm Saturday 29th January 2022

Hosted by the UCU Solidarity Movement

The strikes have been called: Now let’s build the fight to win on USS & Four Fights.

We now know the shape of the action called by our unions leadership in the two HE disputes.

There are lots of debates about how to best take the fights forward, but we all know that we have to make the action that’s been called as successful and hard hitting as possible.

We need to build unity – between staff and students – centred on the 2nd March student day of action. We also need to build unity between branches and between UCU and the rest of the movement.

We also need to build solidarity for brilliant branches like Goldsmiths UCU that are involved in crucial local battles.

Meanwhile, it’s right for us to discuss how best we can win these fights and what action can best achieve this.

Come along to Saturday’s Student-Staff Assembly. Bring other activists and bring your own ideas and arguments.

12:00-1.30pm Session 1: Pay Justice, Pensions & Resisting Marketisation

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

1.30-3:00pm 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 (Chair, UCU Anti-Casualisation Committee), Rania Obead (Sudanese Uprising Support Group), Rep from student Red Square Movement, Sharifah Rahman (Leeds University student)

Each of these plenary sessions will provide plenty of opportunity for discussion from the floor.