Socialist Students plus UCU and Unison activists, Salford university protest, 23.5.13 , photo Salford Socialist Party

Socialist Students plus UCU and Unison activists, Salford university protest, 23.5.13 , photo Salford Socialist Party   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

On 23 May, Salford Socialist Students assembled outside the student union calling for all members of the university to stand defiant with them against the 12th proposed round of cuts in 18 months.

A leaked document stated that this summer the university was to axe a further 75 staff, and cut courses that a prospective 1,300 students had already signed up to.

Martyn Moss, UCU regional officer, said that Salford was “unenviably the most prolific university in the UK for axing staff”.

Chris Sheehy, secretary of UCU at the university, stated that she had called on the student union several times with no response.

Only Socialist Students had responded and staff were delighted that there were students who would speak up. The Unison branch secretary Michelle Livesey also attended with other Unison members.

We delivered a letter to the University of Salford’s vice-chancellor, demanding that he either confirm or deny the allegations in the media, and pledging our support for any action the unions take to fight the cuts.

Becki