Student Broad Left

Saturday 18 May, Assemble 12 noon, Jubilee Gardens, Waterloo (Belvedere Road SE1) – March to Department of Health and Parliament.

We need to build on the success of the trade union march against austerity and build the biggest possible student demo to resist education cuts and fees on Weds 21 November.

Earlier this week it was reported that a private company is poised to take over London Met University’s operations and services in a £74m deal, which threatens to deeply damage the university’s reputation and the experience of students and staff alike. These outrageous plans have been widely condemned by trade union and student leaders.

Over the past week students have occupied a number of university campuses across Britain in solidarity with yesterday’s public sector strike and in opposition to the government’s austerity offensive against the 99% of society.

Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers will take part in the biggest strike action in a generation tomorrow.

They are taking industrial action to defend their pensions against the Tories’ attack, which will see workers pay more into pension schemes in exchange for reduced benefits.

There are many ways in which you can show your support for the strike tomorrow. From joining marches and rallies in your local area to supporting workers on the picket lines.

UCU members at around 500 colleges and universities across the UK are on strike today in a row over changes to their pension and pay cuts: the first UK-wide strike action in universities for five years and in colleges since 2008. We are fully behind them. Read more

Len McCluskey, the newly elected General Secretary of Unite - Britain's largest trade union, has launched a stinging attack against the ConDem government's package of cuts.

Backing the student movement's massive campaign to defend education from a tripling of fees, and condemning the brutal police tactics that left Alfie Meadows fighting for his life, he drew comparisons with past struggles fought by the unions. Read more

Below we share, Len McCluskey’s – leader of the biggest trade union in Europe, Unite – speech in Hyde Park to the TUC anti-cuts demonstration on Saturday 20 October 2012.

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The continent of Latin America is changing rapidly and the good news is that it is the people of Latin America themselves that are driving this progressive agenda. For the first time the people of the continent are taking control of their own resources and their own destinies, and this model of continental self determination is one we should all applaud and support.

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Tomorrow – Wednesday November 30 2011 – 3 million public sector workers across the country will be on strike, not only to defend their pensions, but also to stand up for public services and a decent society, against the savage and ideological cuts of the Tories. From joining picket lines to protests – there is so much that students can do tomorrow to support the strike.

Members of the National Union of Teachers and Associate of Teachers and Lecturers have voted overwhelmingly to join the University and College Union to strike against Tory attacks on pension on 30 June. The results of the Public and Commercial Services Union’s strike ballot are due tomorrow. Almost 1 million workers are expected to strike in the co-ordinated action later this month.

As VAT rises to 20% and the rest of the Tory-led government’s cuts start to bite, students must be at the fore-front of the anti-cuts movement. The inspirational fight against the attacks on higher and further education over the past months has proved that a broad base of students can work positively together to fight the government’s destructive policies.

Students must continue to lead the way against the Tory attacks, joining with trade unions, the wider anti-cuts movement and the progressive majority in society. The national demonstration called by the TUC on 26 March is the next big opportunity. We need to take to the streets in our tens of thousands once again to march for the alternative: jobs, growth and social justice. Read more