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From The Socialist newspaper, 14 October 2009
University staff forced to strike
A member of staff in the Art, Media and Design Department of London Met University spoke to The Socialist about the campaign of strike action against cuts they are involved in:
"The unions have tried to get management to sit down and listen to rational arguments but time and again meetings are suddenly cancelled - a prime example of that was today (12 October). You would think that three days before an all-out strike, management would want to sit down and talk but they cancelled a meeting with the unions this afternoon. The unions have even proposed taking the dispute over job cuts to ACAS which management have rejected. I think that speaks volumes about the 'attitude' of this management.
"Staff do not want to strike - it is the last thing we want to do, especially after the bad press our university has suffered over the last few months but we really do feel we have no other option. Unison has also had an overwhelming 71% vote in favour of taking strike action.
"We appreciate the massive disruption this will cause to our students but we are trying to save their university and strike action seems to be the only thing this management will listen to."
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
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In The Socialist 14 October 2009:
The main parties say: 'Work until you drop'
Postal workers
Socialist Party editorial
The economy: Green shoots or scorched earth?
What would a Tory government be like?
War and occupation
Afghan conflict: Stop the war now
Youth fight for jobs
Apprenticeships? Yes, but not at any price!
Socialist Party news and analysis
Manchester mobilises against fascists
Housing workers in 'sleep over'
Socialist Party workplace news
British Airways - What's really going on?
University staff forced to strike
Unison - opening door to minority rule
Socialist stands for NUT vice-president
International socialist news and analysis
Sri Lanka: Shut down the camps!
Greece: Hated ND government booted out in general election
Socialist Party review
A 'dis-service' to Leon Trotsky
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