Strike against redundancies at Middlesex University, Tuesday 4 October

Middlesex University plans to cut around 300 posts, spread across academic and admin staff. There are no guarantees at this stage that some of these job losses will not be compulsory. Unison members among admin staff and UCU members among academic staff have voted for a one-day strike in protest against the job cuts. The strike is on Tuesday 4 October (tomorrow, as I write!).

There will be picket lines from 8-10am at the Hendon, Trent Park and Archway campuses.

The students' union is closing its offices in solidarity and has issued the following statement:

MUSU fully supports Unison in its continuing struggle against the cuts. MUSU passed a motion 'Oppose cuts throughout the public sector' on October 20th last year that stated:

'The Union Resolves:

1) To mandate the Students’ Union Executive to oppose all cuts.

2) To work with and support the campus Trade Unions in their struggle against cuts.'

MUSU sabbaticals will be around the picket lines on the day to inform students as to why we are supporting this action.

In Unity

Manojkumar Iyer, President

To send a message of support to the Unison branch, email UNISON1@mdx.ac.uk. The Unison branch has a blog: http://mdxbranchlines.blogspot.com.

To send a message of support to the UCU branch, email the branch secretary John Hammond: J.Hammond@mdx.ac.uk.

I suspect that all universities tend to be little worlds unto themselves, only scarcely integrated with the surrounding area, but last year Barnet trades council did forge links with the students' union, and the campus unions have sent representatives to trades council meetings. I hope we will continue to build this collaboration.