London Region UCU demo, 21 March

March from UCEA HQ to Parliament

Tuesday 21 March

Assemble 12 noon, UCEA HQ, Tavistock Square
March to Parliament at 1pm

UCU members in 150 universities will be on strike across the UK together for six days from 15 to 22 March. On Tuesday 21 March, London Region UCU has called a demonstration to march from the offices of the Employers Organisation UCEA to Parliament.

• We Mind The Gap Between Pay and Inflation!
  Staff in Higher Education have seen their pay fall by a quarter from 2009 to 2021 against RPI. Unless inflation falls, our pay will be cut by a further 15% by August 2023. Our members are being forced into poverty. The Cost of Living Crisis is bearing down on staff and students.
• We Mind The Gender Pay Gap!
  According to the Fawcett Society, men were paid on average 14.8% higher than women in Higher Education in 2022. This is 3.5 percentage points above the figure for all sectors.
• We Mind the Race Pay Gap!
  Many employers do not even collect data on the Race Pay Gap, but of those who do, the figure can be as high or higher than the Gender Pay Gap.
• We Mind the Disability Pay Gap!
  We also oppose the poor treatment of disabled staff in Higher Education. Few employers collect data on disability pay gaps. But we see the injustice.

These Pay Gaps intersect and have compound effects. They are driven by a range of factors, including unequal appointment, promotion and job security rates between different academic and academic-related tracks.

Now, on top of these historic injustices, the basic idea of a University is being undermined by a toxic cycle of spiraling workloads and insecure contracts.

The Employers do not want to match inflation. They want staff to accept the inevitability of our pay being devalued. But we cannot afford any more pay cuts, whether for ourselves or for future generations.

On March 21, we will put these Pay Gaps on the map!

We say Pay up Now!

Route

Assemble at Tavistock Square 12 noon.

Depart 1pm.

• Torrington Place / Byng Place
• Malet Street
• Montague Place
• Russell Square (South side)
• Southampton Row / Kingsway
• Strand
• Trafalgar Square
• Whitehall
• Parliament Square, North side
• Final rally point to be confirmed.

• Route Map

Love your union – lobby the employers – 14 Feb

Meet outside ACAS in Victoria Street with banners, placards, strikers, friends and colleagues to express support for our unions and to lobby the employers.

Details

• Love your union: lobby the employers!
• 12 Noon, Tuesday 14 February
• ACAS National Offices, 50 Victoria St SW1H 0TL Map
• Nearest tube: St James’ Park – or 24 bus

National Education Demo, 1 Feb

Support the Strikes
Defend Education

Fight the Cost of Living Crisis • Back the Strikes

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called by the National Education Union
supported by PCS, UCU

UCU Feeder March Assemble: Malet Street 10:30am
Departs 11:00 am prompt to join main demo

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Assemble: Portland Place 11:00 am
Depart for Westminster: 11:45 am
Rally in Westminster

Speakers from RMT, ASLEF, PCS, UCU and NEU

UCU members at 150 universities kick off a new wave of strike action over pay, conditions and pensions on Wednesday 1 February, and staff and supporters in London are invited to show support by joining the National Education Union (NEU) demonstration and march.

The action on Wednesday will coincide with the TUC’s ‘protect the right to strike’ day and five unions, UCU, NEU, ASLEF, PCS and RMT are joining the day of action.

On Wednesday thousands of workers will walk out to demand a fair deal on pay and working conditions, and this is a fantastic opportunity for UCU members to unite with our sister unions and, in particular, to support the NEU’s London rally.

Please come along and show that working people have had enough and we will strike and demonstrate together until we win a fair deal.

Route

Portland Place
Regent Street
Piccadilly Circus
Haymarket
Trafalgar Square
Whitehall
Parliament Square
to a rally in Westminster

• Leaflet (PDF)

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UCU Feeder March

Assembly Point: 10:30 am, UCL/Birkbeck, ULU, Malet Street to march together through Bloomsbury.

The march will leave at 11:00 am sharp in order to join the main demonstration.

Route map (provisional)

Protest at UUK/UCEA HQ, 2 March

Tell UCEA/UUK –
We’re Not Going Away!

Wednesday 2 March
Assemble 12.30 – 1pm, Tavistock Square

Rally at the headquarters of Universities UK/UCEA in Tavistock Square on the final day of the current sequence of HE strike action. Branches in the Bloomsbury area may wish to march from picket lines to attend, hence the delayed start.

The event is designed to complement the NUS action with an event for us as striking workers!

Students planning to go to the NUS events in Woburn Square and Torrington Square can march with colleagues and either join the protest or peel off to go to the NUS teach-outs.

See also

• NUS student strike information
• NUS student strike day programme

London Strike Demo 22 February

UNITE TO DEFEND EDUCATION

Solidarity with the Higher Education Strikes

Stop the Pension Robbery • Fair Pay Now! • Staff & Students Unite • Stop the Tuition Fee Repayment Hike!

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March and Rally

Tuesday 22 February, 12.30 for 1.30 depart

Assemble: 12.30pm Tavistock Square, WC1 (outside UCEA/UUK offices)

Depart: 1.30pm March to City via Bloomsbury and Aldwych. Outdoor rally at Bank.

Called by London Region UCU. > Leaflet

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Stay Covid-safe. Take a lateral flow test and wear a face covering in confined spaces, even outdoors.

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Programme

12.30pm Assemble for the Demo at Tavistock Square outside Woburn House, home of UCEA and UUK

12.30 – 1.30pm Outdoor rally in Tavistock Square

Speakers confirmed include

• Jeremy Corbyn MP
• Kevin Courtney NEU joint General Secretary
• Keith Simpson City UCU
• Jordy Lea City UNISON
• Zara Dinnen Queen Mary UCU
• Great Ormond Street Hospital UVW strikers

There will be opportunity for members to speak.

1.30 – 3.30pm March to City of London

The march will go via Malet Street and Southampton Row down to Aldwych and the Strand, and then turn left towards the City. We will march along Fleet St to Bank tube.

We will then march past the USS HQ in Threadneedle Street, pass around the block before returning to Bank. We will have a few speeches there before dispersing.

We want to have a good visible showing with banners outside the Royal Exchange building.

Rally on Cornhill steps, Bank, 2019.

The money is there…

Route

Click to enlarge.

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HE Strike March and Rally 3 December

DEFEND EDUCATION
Fight for the Future
Solidarity with the Higher Education Strikes

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March and Rally

Friday 3 December, 12.30 for 1.30 depart

Assemble: 12.30pm Tavistock Square, WC1 (outside UCEA/UUK offices)

Depart: 1.30pm March to City via Bloomsbury and Aldwych. Outdoor rally at Bank.

Called by London Region UCU. > Leaflet

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Stay Covid-safe. Take a lateral flow test and wear a face covering in confined spaces, even outdoors.

Speakers

Vicky Blake, President UCU
Phil Rowan, RMT London Transport Regional Council
John McDonnell MP 
Mick Lynch, General Secretary RMT
Sara Bafo, President Goldsmiths Student Union
Kevin Courtney, General Secretary NEU
Jo Grady, General Secretary UCU
Elhussain, Middle East and North African (MENA) Solidarity (Sudanese teacher)
Janet Maiden, UNISON health, Branch Chair, UCLH UNISON
Michael Rosen, Author and Goldsmiths UCU striker
Kudsia Batool, Head of Equality and Strategy, TUC

Route (tap to load high res)

Lobby the UCU/UUK talks on USS pension, Wednesday 4 March

UCU and UUK negotiators meet on Wednesday at Woburn House, Tavistock Square

Assemble at 2.30 for 3pm, Wednesday 4 March

Lobby the talks!

UCU members are out on strike at universities across the UK again in pursuit of the Four Fights and USS disputes. On Tuesday, UCU ‘Four Fights’ negotiators met with UCEA representatives. This Wednesday it is the turn of USS negotiators.

We are making real progress on USS. The key issues are the discredited valuation ‘deficit’ and whether employees should be expected to pay for it. A combination of rising costs and our industrial action have pushed the employers back from the assumption that they can simply impose increased costs on employees, as a pathway to bullying staff to accept 100% Defined Contribution.

Talks continue on both disputes, with negotiators on both sides tasked to find a prompt and effective resolution. Our strikes, pickets, lobbies and demonstrations keep the pressure up.

Come to the lobby, bring placards, friends, supporters and students. Support the UCU negotiators, help us make the case!

The employers could negotiate to end the strike, in the interests of staff and students.

See also

• Facebook event

Regional strike co-ordinating meeting, Wednesday 4 March

Regional co-ordinating meeting, open to all reps

Central London, 3.30pm, 4 March

[reserve the time + watch this space]

– hosted by UCL UCU – All UCU members welcome –

This meeting will be a chance to take stock of where we are in Week 3 before the Week 4 (5 day) strike begins. Picket lines have held up well, especially when you consider that for many members, Monday 2nd represented the 14 day point!

In the last week we organised one impromptu lobby of UCEA, one strike assembly and one march to the City – and we were only on strike for 3 days!

We have to up our organisation and initiative in preparation for the 5-day strike week. If the employers make concessions, we know they will try to drag it out. One of the things we can do as London Region is take initiatives.

So come to this meeting, bring reps, strikers, supporters and friends.

 

 

 

March from UCEA/UUK to The City – 26 February

March for Education

The Money’s There – Where’s Our Share?

#FourFights #DefendUSS

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Demonstrate 26 February

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Assemble 12.00 in Tavistock Square WC1
12 Noon: Rally outside UCEA/UUK HQ with speakers
March to the City at 1.30pm
via Malet St, Russell Sq, Aldwych, Fleet St
Ends at Bank 3pm
Post-demo strike meeting, Rich Mix, Shoreditch 3.30pm

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Videos

Beginning of march and protest outside USS offices

Angela Rayner

 

Staff in seventy-four universities across the UK will mark the end of the first five-day strike period on 26 February.

On that date, to bring the strike movement together, London Region UCU are organising a march from UCEA/UUK offices to the City of London.

We must unite to march for Education. It is time to stand up to the City fat cats, speculating on campuses and hoping to profit from the wrecking of our pensions. (The City is also where USS Ltd are based.)

Programme

12 Noon Assemble for the Demo at Tavistock Square outside Woburn House, home of UCEA and UUK

12 – 1pm Outdoor rally in Tavistock Square

We have a flat bed truck with PA system to address the crowd.

There will be guest speakers and opportunity for members to speak.

1 – 3pm March to City of London

The march will go via Malet Street and Southampton Row down to Aldwych and the Strand, and then turn left towards the City. We will march along Fleet St to Bank tube.

We will have a few speeches there before dispersing.

We want to have a good visible showing with banners outside the Royal Exchange building. The money is there…

More information: see Route

3.30-6pm Post-demo strike meeting, Rich Mix, Shoreditch, hosted by UCL UCU

We have called a strike meeting at the end of this phase to give reps a chance to talk to each other and plan phase 2.

This will be an important meeting. It will be a chance for a proper discussion between colleagues and branches about the next steps in the strike. Our demo will mark the end of the first phase, but we need to discuss what next before we embark on two weeks of four and five-day strikes.

Transport: You can walk to Shoreditch up the A10 Bishopsgate, but there is an easier option. There are several buses that take you direct from Bank/Threadneedle Street to Rich Mix. Two buses drop you outside Rich Mix. (Alight at: Bethnal Green Rd/Shoreditch High St.) Bus 8 from Bank Station (Stop C) and Bus 388 from Bishopsgate at the top of Threadneedle St.

Route

Click to enlarge.

• Facebook event
• Strike meeting leaflet (2x A5)

Lobby UCEA & UUK: 20 February

Tell UCEA:
Must Try Harder! Stop the Race to the Bottom

End Casualisation!
We want Decent Jobs on Decent Pay!
End the shameful race and gender Pay Inequality!
Tackle the Workload Crisis!

Tell UUK:
Stand up for Proper Pensions

Defend our Pension! #NoDetriment!

Rally 12.30 @ Woburn House, Tavistock Square WC1H 9HU Map

• Facebook event
• 2x A5 leaflet (PDF)

Staff in seventy-four universities across the UK begin a fourteen day strike today, 20 February. But the strike could end if the employers’ organisations, UCEA and UUK, make credible offers to end the disputes.

We need national agreements from UCEA to stop the race to the bottom in our sector. We need UUK to step up and stop ‘de-risking’ of USS, and work with UCU to insist USS Ltd safeguard the Defined Benefit scheme (aka ‘A Proper Pension’) for the future.

Both organisations have their headquarters in one place — Woburn House, on the corner of Tavistock Square in Central London. Come to this lobby to mark the first day of the strike and put pressure on the employers to help us end it.

Bring students, colleagues and friends. You don’t have to be on strike to lobby the employers!

Strike Meeting

There will be a strike meeting hosted by UCL UCU from 1.30 afterwards where strikers and supporters can share their experiences of the picket line and plan the next steps.

• Facebook event
• 2x A5 leaflet (PDF)