Nursery kids to protest against University of Sussex job cuts and nursery closure
16 March 2010
Children from the University of Sussex's nursery and crèche will tomorrow hand out daffodils and protest leaflets to members of the institution's senate ahead of their 1.30pm meeting.
The youngsters and their parents will be joined by members of UCU outside Bramber House from 1.00pm.
The kids' protest is part of a wide-reaching campaign against cuts to vital services and job losses across the campus involving UCU, students and parents. The union says the closure of the nursery is one standout example of the consequences of the planned cuts. The senate meeting the protestors are targeting will discuss a motion that calls for the university's financial plans to be put on hold.
The senate is responsible for the academic work of the university and the motion says it needs more time to properly assess the impact the proposed changes would have on both the university and the different departments. The children will hand out leaflets asking if the University of Sussex will still be somewhere they would want to come to when they are considering university in 2024.
The union's protests will continue on Thursday 18 March when UCU members at the university will be on strike. UCU says the university has to properly examine innovative proposals drawn up by staff to ease the institution's financial difficulties. The alternative plans include ideas such as some staff moving to part-time hours or taking extended unpaid leave.
The union believes the staff's plans would allow the university to make the necessary savings and avoid compulsory redundancies and closure of key services. The proposals were backed by Brighton and Hove Council at a meeting last month and the three Brighton MPs, Des Turner, Celia Barlow and David Lepper, have called for a delay to allow proper scrutiny of the university's plans and the alternatives.
UCU members at Sussex have given a clear mandate for industrial action. In the ballot result announced on Wednesday 3 March over three-quarters of those who voted (76%) supported strike action and over four-fifths (82%) agreed to action short of a strike. The turnout of 80.9% was a record for the union in a strike ballot.
University of Sussex UCU representative, Paul Cecil, said: 'The protest with the children from the nursery will be a peaceful and positive protest aimed at encouraging members of the senate to make the right decision in their meeting. We understand the financial pressures facing both the university here and the whole higher education sector. However, we do not believe that making excellent staff redundant is either necessary or the right thing for the University of Sussex.'
The kids' protest is part of a wide-reaching campaign against cuts to vital services and job losses across the campus involving UCU, students and parents. The union says the closure of the nursery is one standout example of the consequences of the planned cuts. The senate meeting the protestors are targeting will discuss a motion that calls for the university's financial plans to be put on hold.
The senate is responsible for the academic work of the university and the motion says it needs more time to properly assess the impact the proposed changes would have on both the university and the different departments. The children will hand out leaflets asking if the University of Sussex will still be somewhere they would want to come to when they are considering university in 2024.
The union's protests will continue on Thursday 18 March when UCU members at the university will be on strike. UCU says the university has to properly examine innovative proposals drawn up by staff to ease the institution's financial difficulties. The alternative plans include ideas such as some staff moving to part-time hours or taking extended unpaid leave.
The union believes the staff's plans would allow the university to make the necessary savings and avoid compulsory redundancies and closure of key services. The proposals were backed by Brighton and Hove Council at a meeting last month and the three Brighton MPs, Des Turner, Celia Barlow and David Lepper, have called for a delay to allow proper scrutiny of the university's plans and the alternatives.
UCU members at Sussex have given a clear mandate for industrial action. In the ballot result announced on Wednesday 3 March over three-quarters of those who voted (76%) supported strike action and over four-fifths (82%) agreed to action short of a strike. The turnout of 80.9% was a record for the union in a strike ballot.
University of Sussex UCU representative, Paul Cecil, said: 'The protest with the children from the nursery will be a peaceful and positive protest aimed at encouraging members of the senate to make the right decision in their meeting. We understand the financial pressures facing both the university here and the whole higher education sector. However, we do not believe that making excellent staff redundant is either necessary or the right thing for the University of Sussex.'
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