“We would like to echo Jo Grady’s remarks in her letter to Keir Starmer. We ask him to publicly support striking university staff, & to use his influence to call on UCEA to settle the dispute fairly.”
A message of solidarity from Labour Students.
We, as the majority of the National Labour Students Committee, were appalled to hear Keir Starmer’s comments on BBC Radio 4.
As the historic party of the labour movement, it’s beyond necessary for us to show unwavering support to workers fighting for a better deal. Students and staff are completely united in believing the higher education system is broken. Labour should be unequivocally supporting UCU members trying to make a better, more sustainable HE sector.
It’s been so heartening to see Labour Students members on campuses across the UK showing their support, whether it be on picket lines, in teach-outs, or through their student unions and Labour Clubs. It is only through trade unions that progressive change is made, and nowhere is that more true than in our universities and colleges. Our institutions have been hollowed out by decades of infiltration by antilearning market logic, which has devalued staff and driven up prices for students.
Academics and support staff are at the heart of every university and college. They should be treated with respect and dignity, not given precarious contracts and unbearable workloads.
We would like to echo Jo Grady’s remarks in her letter to Keir Starmer. We ask him to publicly support striking university staff, and to use his influence to call on UCEA to settle the dispute fairly. We also completely support the call for Labour to be bold in reimagining a HE sector free from marketisation, including the complete abolition of tuition fees and the failed maintenance loan system.
On behalf of Labour Students members, we send our full love and solidarity to UCU members struggling for better pay and conditions. The student movement stands with you in your mission to transform the education system for the better.
- Fabiha Askari, Vice-Chair, National Labour StudentsCommittee
- Dylan Lewis-Rowlands, Chair, Welsh Labour Students / Wales Rep, NLSC
- Joshua Freestone, Northern Rep, NLSC
- Chloe Brooks, North West Rep, NLSC
- Ruth Day, South West Rep, NLSC
- Nimah Ogas-Hersi, London Rep, NLSC
- Molly Bloomfield, Eastern Rep, NLSC
- Eleanor Falshaw, Yorkshire & Humber Rep, NLSC
- Kieron Warren, LGBT+ Officer, NLSC
- Moya O’Rourke, Disabled Students Officer, NLSC
- Lola Fayokun, Women’s Officer, NLSC
- Elilee Arulkumar, BAME Officer, NLSC
- Alex Charilaou, Trans Officer, NLSC
- Zac Bates-Fisher, Ordinary Rep, NLSC
- Hareem Ghani, Ordinary Rep, NLSC
- Libs Olley, Ordinary Rep, NLSC
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This isn’t the Labour Party it’s a new Tory Lite party . STARMER is listening to the likes of Peter Mandleson who was close friends with Jeffrey Epstein and the war lord Tony Blair, If Starmer was ever a socialist then I’m a Dutchman, Starmer has much charisma as a damp cloth .