College lecturers fight back

Week-long strike at London Met

LECTURERS AT London Met University are on strike for a week against
management’s attempts to force almost 400 of them into a contract they
don’t want. The university have threatened to sack lecturers who don’t
agree to the new contract, but have refused to negotiate any changes.

The new contracts are part of an increase in bureaucracy in the
university which is widening the distance between staff and students;
and trying to determine academic priorities without consulting academic
staff. For example, the new contracts management are trying to impose
don’t include any time for lecturers to do research!

Students are also suffering as a result of these changes. Many feel
that London Met is being run more as a business than as a university.
The Socialist Students’ Society, along with other students, has been
campaigning to link students’ concerns with the lecturers’ dispute.

It is ridiculous that the lecturers have been forced to strike just
to bring management to the negotiating table. It is time to make sure
the university is really feeling the pressure.

Please send letters of protest to: Sir John Carter, Chair of
Governors, c/o John McParland, London Met University, 166-220 Holloway
Road, London N7 8DB. And copies to: Miss J Golden, NATFHE, 27 Britannia
Street, London WC1 9BR.

More info: www.natfhe-london.org.uk