Leeds politicians address college strike rally on Monday

The rally is being held at Quarry Hill by striking UCU members from Leeds City, Kirklees, Harrogate and Bradford colleges and will begin at 12pm. 

Speakers include UCU past-president Janet Farrar, UCU president-elect Maxine Looby, Leeds Labour Party councillors Jools Heselwood, Andrew Scopes, Kevin Ritchie and Penny Stables as well as Leeds Green Party councillor Ed Carlisle. 

Staff at all four colleges are striking on Monday and Wednesday next week after already going out on strike for two days this week. Bradford college staff are also on strike Tuesday and intend to take further action this month.

The ongoing disputes centre on low pay and high workloads. Staff pay has fallen behind inflation by as much as 35% since 2009, yet for 2022/23 employers at the four colleges forced through pay awards worth less than 4% for the vast majority of lecturers. UCU is demanding a meaningful pay rise to help staff during the cost of living crisis and action to end to excessive workloads.  

UCU regional official Julie Kelley said: 'Local politicians are coming out in support of striking staff because they know that poverty pay and dangerous workloads are bad for staff, bad for students and bad for the local community. College bosses need to listen, show they care about teaching and learning conditions and give staff the pay rise they deserve.'