Don't cut our EMA!

"Be young and shut up" says Cameron? We don't think so! Join today's protest against the government's cuts to the vital Education Maintenance Allowance.

4.30pm Tuesday 11 January
Brighton Town Hall

On the 11th January the government will vote on scrapping EMA. Without EMA many students would not be able to attend college, let alone university! Click here to read on...

Brighton Socialists join 35,000 students and workers outside parliament to protest over tuition fee increases and education cuts!

On Thursday 9 December, while parliament debated the Con-Dem coalition government's plan to treble university tuition fees, a fourth day of angry protest took place across the country.
The debate ended with MPs disgracefully voting to increase fees to a higher limit of £9,000 a year, with 323 in favour and 302 against, and so the campaigning against this attack must now continue and be stepped up.

In central London, 35,000 students and education workers, many from outside London, marched to parliament to show their strong opposition to education cuts and increased tuition fees. Click here to read on and for an excellent video of the demonstration...

Socialists Students lead 3,000 Brighton demonstration against fees and education cuts!

[Photograph by Holly Smith]

Throughout this day of action, students across the country demonstrated, occupied and walked out against the government's attacks on further and higher education.

This day of protests followed on from the magnificent 50,000-strong show of student anger in London on 10 November.

Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) and Socialist Students initiated and participated in many of the protests nationally. Click here for reports from across the country...

In Brighton well over 3,000 school, college and university students walked out and demonstrated through the city in one of the biggest mobilisations outside of London. Click here for trades council reports...

Local student organisers are now planning for the next stage of actions and a petition has been created to build support for the growing movement. Please sign via here and get everyone you know to do the same.

Contact Ross on info.bhsp@gmail.com for local organising meetings and more information.

Socialist Students join 200-strong occupation at Sussex University against education attacks

More news to follow...

Please see the student occupation statement and demands here...

http://defendsussex.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/statement-from-the-occupation/

Browne Review attacks higher education!

Socialist Students and Youth Fight for Jobs condemned the plans under discussion to raise or possibly abolish the cap on university fees, saying it will rule out higher education for a generation already deprived of opportunities to work or learn through apprenticeships. Youth Fight for Jobs is a national organisation with the support of six trade unions.

Claire Laker-Mansfield, Socialist Students national organiser, said "If implemented, this spells the end of access to university as we know it for future generations of young people. This will not lead to an improvement in education; ministers argue fees will be over £7,000 just to compensate for the cuts coming in the Comprehensive Spending Review next week, on top of those already implemented. There will be a huge anger from young people against this, and the demonstration on 10 November should only be the start." Click here to read on...

Tonight! Sussex Uni staff and students benefit gig!

Message from the Stop The Cuts campaign...

FUNDRAISER GIG // TONIGHT!
SUSSEX UNI STAFF + STUDENTS BENEFIT GIG

at the HYDRANT PUB (near Preston Circus)

PLEASE COME AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

Also a heads-up for a further END OF TERM fundraiser that is happening NEXT WEDNESDAY at NEW HERO nightclub. Details coming soon!

Stop the Cuts!

Hastings Anti-BNP Protest a Huge Success

A PROTEST in Hastings against the British National Party, organised by South East Youth Fight for Jobs, dealt a serious blow to BNP aspirations in the area and showed in no uncertain terms that the people of Sussex reject racism in all its forms.

The protest, held on Thursday 25 March outside The Crown House pub, was called in response to the Confederation of Small Businesses inviting the racist BNP to take part in a hustings of the local general election candidates. Despite driving wind and rain for a lot of the night, the protest met with vociferous support from local activists, trade unionists, workers and students. Passing motorists honked horns in support of the 60 strong campaigners, who waved banners and placards, chanted anti-Fascist sentiments and delivered speeches to one another.

Youth Fight for Jobs was instrumental in attracting a number of young people to the demonstration, actively getting the word out to the local education institutions and in appealing to many young people’s sense of outrage at the current economic climate and proposals of vast cuts in services.

Socialist Party members and representatives of YFJ found their speeches particularly well received. They not only denounced the BNP as a racist party, they explicitly explained how the anti-working class policies of the main capitalist parties had contributed to the rise of the BNP. Socialist members made it clear that working people must unite and fight cuts and job losses, regardless of ethnic background. The BNP merely serve to undermine working class unity and make it easier for the politicians and bosses in forcing us to pay for their crises. One trade union activist remarked afterwards that he was delighted to hear a political alternative proposed at, wholeheartedly agreeing with the Socialist Party on the need for a new mass party to represent the interests of working people.

Fraser MacInnes (South East Socialist Party)

UCU strike against university cuts!

[Words Peter Knight, pictures Dave Hill]




Today lecturers and staff at the University of Sussex gave management their thoughts on the proposed plans to cut over 115 staff along with other vital services - by taking strike action and walking out.

The strike ballot recorded the largest turnout in UCU history - with 80.9% of members voting. Over three-quarters of staff (76%) supported strike action and over four-fifths (82%) agreed to action short of a strike.

Picket lines were lively this morning as hundreds of students and workers offered each other support against the university managment.

One lecturer on strike said: "People see the cuts as a blow to the heart of the university. Education should be at the heart of the university's mission, but it's being downgraded. The support from students has been extremely heartening, to see how willing they are to support the campaign against cuts."

Socialist Students and others from the Stop The Cuts campaign have been in occupation in one of the university's largest lecture halls for eight days in support of the university workers and in opposition to the cuts. This morning they came out and joined the workers on strike.

At a senate meeting last night, over 800 passed a vote of no confidence in vice-chancellor Michael Farthing and the administration. University management have failed to consult with staff properly, bullied and victimised staff and students with suspensions and the threat of redundancies and, in scenes never before witnessed on the university campus, called in riot police to violently attack a peaceful demonstration opposing the cuts.

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate for Brighton Kemptown Dave Hill joined the picket line in solidarity with both workers and students. He said: "Sussex university students are leading the way nationally in acting to stop the cuts. Now Sussex university UCU, together with Leeds University UCU, have both voted to take strike action to stop the cuts. UCU estimates that over the next three years 15,000 jobs at universities and colleges across the country are under threat - not just lecturers, but porters, secretaries, admin staff, cleaners - all sorts of workers - faced with job cuts unless there is solidarity in opposing them! Students and workers, unite and fight!"

Today's strike is part of a national day of action called by Socialist Students against all university and education cuts. As the senate meeting was taking place last night, news came through of a student occupation at Aberdeen University. Workers and students have been uniting up and down the country to oppose these attacks on education.

Today's action coincides with the annoucement of funding cuts to universities across the country, including Sussex, which will result in a blow for standards, massive job cuts and fewer places for students who are already suffering with debt, a job-less future, low pay and fees in excess of £3,000 a year. So much for "education, education, education."

We say: "Defend education! Victory to the strikers! Ballot the other campus union members threatened with cuts! Keep open the university creche! An end to macho-management! No redundancies! Stop the cuts! Vote Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition! Campaign for a New Workers' Party!"

For the latest information and background on the fight back against education cuts click here...

International Women's Day! 100 years

Public meeting: Feminism today
6-9.30pm Wednesday 10 March
Falmer House, Room 126 at the University of Sussex

This is a joint meeting of Brighton and Sussex Socialist Students to celebrate 100 years of International Women's Day. These days it seems International Women's Day has become little more than a glossy promotional event for "women friendly" businesses or at best a vague "celebration" of women's achievements. Yet its roots 100 years ago are in the socialist movement of the early 20th century and it quickly became a focal point for the early struggles of working class women internationally for better working conditions, for the right to vote and against the oppression they faced as women. All welcome.

Click here for more infomation...

Trades Council demo unites Brighton fight back

[Words and pictures, Peter Knight - Brighton Thursday branch]













"They say cut back, we say fight back" was the chant that roared through the streets of Brighton on Saturday as hundreds of working class trade union activists, socialists and campaigners brought the city's streets to a standstill.

In one of the largest trade union organised demonstrations in Brighton for many years, over 600 people representing union branches from workplaces right across the city united to inspire others to join a growing fight back against mounting job losses and the monstrous attacks on public services.

Recent work place closures in the city have seen the loss of hundreds of jobs with bookshops, bank branches, off licenses and manufacturing plants closing down in the last year.

With the continuing threat of redundancies and savage service cuts looming over the heads of thousands more local workers, the Brighton, Hove and District Trades Union Council organised March for Jobs demonstration has provided the spark for a united fight back campaign.

Socialist Party members played a central role in organising the event which was supported by local trade union branches including the GMB, NUJ, NUT, PCS, RMT, UCU, Unison and Unite.

Last week the local Save Our Nursery campaign, which has united parents and workers against plans to close an outstanding childcare service at the University of Brighton, forced management to consider a union proposal to keep the nursery open after a large vocal rally boosted by Socialist Party members was held outside the board of governors' meeting.

Carole Hanson, secretary of the University of Brighton Unison branch representing the nursery workers, said at the rally on Saturday: "The impact that action has had on our branch, to see those workers absolutely united against the cuts to the nursery, the cuts to provision, the cuts to their jobs, has galvanised our branch into action and it's really uniting people in their opposition to any cuts."

The fight towards victory for the Save Our Nursery campaign saw their contingent lead the March for Jobs demonstration.

GMB members from the Brighton bin depot joined the march to inspire fellow workers in struggle after their victorious battle last year. Over 300 refuse workers were facing massive cuts in their pay of up to a third, but took united action and forced the council into a quick retreat after only a two day strike.

Dave Russell, GMB rep at the Hollingdean depot in Brighton, said at the rally: "We won the battle but the war has only just begun. I hope our victory can inspire you in yours."

Job centre workers in the Public and Commercial Services union, who are due to walk out on strike on Monday and Tuesday, marched side by side with unemployed campaigners who are being attacked with cuts to already poverty level benefits. Both unemployed and public sector workers face ongoing privatisation plans or the introduction of punishments for not excepting low paid or unpaid work.

But organised activists remain confident of the unity that the March for Jobs event provided. Kevin Dale, a PCS rep at Brighton job centre, said: "PCS workers are taking industrial action in defence of their compensation scheme which, if cut, cheapens everything up for the privatisation and cuts to come. So we're taking all out action on Monday and Tuesday. Today's demo gives us every confidence we can win this battle."

Dominic McFadden from the PCS national executive committee echoed one of the demonstration's key slogans when he spoke at the rally at the end of the march. Yellow placards with the slogan "jobs and services not bail outs for the rich" were waived in the air by the crowd at Brighton town hall as he said: "When moat-owning Douglas Hogg MP steps down at the next election he will walk away with a pension pot worth more than £40,000 a year. The average pension for a civil service worker is only £84 a week. So much for gold plated public sector pensions. Perhaps the government could collect the billions of avoided and evaded tax payments owed by the rich before they start attacking low paid public sector workers."

With 76 per cent of an 80 per cent turnout backing strike action - a national record turn out for a UCU ballot - workers at the University of Sussex are growing in confidence that united action can force a nervous management to concede defeat over plans to axe over 100 jobs.

Support on the local campuses is growing with the Stop The Cuts campaign uniting workers and students who have organised peaceful occupations and demonstrations in which Socialist Students have played a leading role.

However, in a sign of desperation, the university's vice chancellor Michael Farthing called in police to violently break up the latest protest expelling six of the students without any hearing.

Socialist Students and workers involved in the Stop The Cuts campaign joined Saturday's demonstration to gather signatures in support of the six victimised students. Along with their petition and news of a demonstration planned for next week, they also provided the march with the chant "workers and students unite and fight" highlighting the strength and depth of the unity that is building across the city.

Radical poet Attila the Stockbroker provided some lively and stirring music and prose that captured the upbeat mood of workers and their families on the demonstration.

The anger over job losses and cuts is not lost in the local labour movement, but the March for Jobs demonstration has given everyone involved in struggle a massive boost that has united a lot of the battles taking place across the city.

Bill North, general secretary of Brighton, Hove and District Trades Union Council said: "What we've achieved today has been absolutely brilliant but if we left it there we would have failed. This is the start of a campaign for jobs and services that can be built to defeat those who wish to make us pay for their crisis. We’ve shown that we can work together, act together so let's stick together and let people know there is a fight back going on."

Sussex students anti cuts occupation ends after brutal police intimidation

A Statement from University of Sussex Socialist Students

"The occupation of around 70 students of the administration building, Sussex House that began this afternoon has been ended by riot police intervention.

Over a couple of hours support for the student occupiers swelled to a demonstration of around 200 outside the building. Student and staff protestors attempting to enter the building were blocked by riot police who pushed and baton charged the crowd.

Occupier and Socialist Student activists reports "Seeing the situation escalate outside we wanted to make clear this was a peaceful protest. Inside the occupation we took a vote and the majority of us decided to leave on our own terms in an organised fashion. We linked arms and made our exit while the police dragged people to the floor and we think arrests were made.

Sussex Socialist Students condemns the use of police by management against opposition to cuts. Its clear the stepping up of the police presence on campus today was an attempt to intimidate all students and staff at Sussex after the protests and occupations of the last few months.

We and the Stop the Cuts campaign will not be silenced, students and staff will stay united. Socialist Students demands that any protestors arrested today are released immediatley.

No repercussions and victmisations for students and staff involved in the occupation and protests, that the student union and campus trade unions hold a public inquiry into the conduct of the police"

Trade unionists, public representatives

Send messages of protest to

Michael Farthing Sussex University Vice Chancellor and Sussex University management

Michael Farthing, Vice-Chancellor

E: VC@sussex.ac.uk, T: +44 1273 678088 or +44 1273 678028

Zoe Varney-Burch, Personal Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor

E: Z.H.Varney-Burch@sussex.ac.uk, T: +44 1273 678028

Paul Layzell, Deputy Vice Chancellor

E: P.J.Layzell@sussex.ac.uk, T: +44 1273 678546 or +44 1273 678903

Robert Allison, Pro Vice Chancellor

E: R.J.Allison@sussex.ac.uk, T: +44 1273 678253 or +44 1273 678212

Chris Marlin, Professor of the University

E: Chris.Marlin@sussex.ac.uk, T: +44 1273 877862

Maxine Pugh, Secretary

E: M.R.Pugh@sussex.ac.uk, T: +44 1273 678903

Jenny Long, Secretary

E: J.M.Long@sussex.ac.uk, T: +44 1273 678212

Copy in

socialiststudents@hotmail.com

sussexstopthecuts@gmail.com

Contact

Socialist Students 07950951241/02085587947

Save Phoenix Nursery!

More than fifty campaigners came out on a rainy morning to lobby the board of Brighton University Governors outside of Mithras House on Lewes Road. The mixture of participants, from the very young to the old provided a vibrant display with local media turning out to cover the demonstrations. Trade Unions banners from Unison mixed with home made signs and placards but all with the same message: Save Phoenix Nursery!

The proposed plans to merge in July the Phoenix Nursery with the One World creche in Mouslecoomb will likely result in the loss of five jobs not to mention the determinental impact on staff and students who rely on the childcare facilities.
Management had not even planned to inform staff or creche users until March, it wasn't even on the agenda at the Govenor's meeting. But word leaked out the anger amongst people was very clear today.

Socialist Students joined the demonstration with leaflets explaining the need for a united fightback at Brighton and Sussex Universities against cuts. As well as the raising the idea of a national fightback against education cuts.

It remains to be seen which way the board's decision will go but the Nursery workers are certainally not going to give up and campaign can only grow from here.

Socialist Party and Socialist Students Demands:

• No to the closure of Phoenix Nursery or any other services.
• Open the books! Let the representatives of trade and student unions examine the University's finances and plans for the closure.
• For a united fightback, unite the campaigns at Brighton and Sussex University.
• For immediate mass investment in childcare and education.
• For a fully funded, pubically owned and democratically run education system from preschool to University.

Click here for Argus coverage

Click here for BBC video

Socialist Students in 100 strong occupation!

Occupying students negotiate with police and management just after the occupation began (left) before discussing their demands (right)

Over a hundred students have occupied a conference suite in Bramber House at Sussex University in anger at hundreds of job cuts and course closures. After a large campus demonstration students stormed the building. Campus security has blocked exits and the university management have called the police.

The demonstration was called by the Stop the Cuts campaign which has organised large protests since the cuts at the university were announced in October. Socialist Students and Youth Fight for Jobs activists are involved in the occupation and have been active in the campaign and the protests.

Socialist Student member Claire Laker Mansfield, fighting to be elected as Education Officer for the student union this week, gave her solidarity to the occupying students and urged everyone in the student community to get involved with the Stop the Cuts campaign.

Claire said: "A demonstration has been called in solidarity with this action, assembling tomorrow (Tuesday) at 12.30 in library Square. Its essential that this protest is well attended, to show management that the student community supports the occupation and calls on them to meet the demands of the occupiers and the Stop the Cuts campaign."

Socialist Students and Youth Fight for Jobs have called for one day walkout strikes of all education workers and students locally and nationally against cuts and fees co-ordinated by trade unions, student unions and anti-cuts campaigns.

Please send messages of solidarity to Socialist Student member Sarah, who is in the occupation, on 07956 132470.

Click here to find out more about the Stop the Cuts and here for more on Claire's election campaign...

"Fight the cuts!" Vote Claire for Education!

VOTE CLAIRE LAKER MANSFIELD NO.1 FOR EDUCATION OFFICER

With the recent announcement of another £2.5 billion to be cut from the education budget nationally, the student union leadership next year will need to be able to fight cuts both at Sussex and nationally. Not only do I have a clear strategy for this but I am also committed to representing students, individually or collectively, on education issues.

FIGHTING THE CUTS
I’m a member of Socialist Students and believe that a decent education should be a right for everyone. I have been involved in several campaigns at Sussex, for example I am a leading activist in the Stop the Cuts campaign and am currently organising Save Life Sciences. If elected I would:
• Organise mass opposition to cuts, job losses and fees.
• Fight for decent grants, bursaries and hardship funds.
• Use the national campaigns I’m involved in to link up Sussex’s struggle with others fighting attacks on education across the country.


REPRESENTING YOU
I believe that a Student Union is all about representing the interests of students. For the last two years I’ve been elected to represent Life Sciences students on Union council. If elected I would:
• Demand the university open its finances to scrutiny of staff and students.
• Hold regular report backs from university meetings and a weekly surgery to hear your concerns regarding education and campaigns.
• Work closely with student reps and try to increase communication between course reps and union representatives.

LISTENING TO YOUR CONCERNS
Essentially the role of education officer is to not only defend decent education in general but to deal with any problems students may have such as disciplinary action or complaints. I am approachable, non judgemental and keen to help in whatever way possible using the full resources available to me in the position.

Click here to join the Facebook group and get in touch to help get Claire elected!

Protesting against job losses on Sussex Uni campus

On December 3 an emergency senate meeting called by the university to discuss savage cuts was picketed by over 400 students. Management plan to cut 115 jobs and vital campus services such as subsidised day care for children and the Unisex centre are to close which will affect students at Sussex and Brighton universities.

At the mass protest the UCU trade union warned through a vote of no confidence in the cuts proposal at the meeting that it will ballot its members for strike action. Students and staff have set up a united Stop the Cuts campaign which has been successful in mobilising large protests over the last few weeks.

Click here to read on...

Youth Fight for Jobs: "A fantastic experience!"

Youth Fight for Jobs demonstration 28 November 2009

Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) will doubtless earn a reputation for putting on the most lively, vibrant and colourful demonstrations in Britain. Over 1,000 people marched, adorned with flags, banners and placards with the message of the demo - 'for real jobs', 'for free education'. This made an impact on the huge Saturday afternoon crowds filling central London. Everywhere people stopped to watch us march by, in many cases cheering us on. Click here to read on...

Youth Fight For Jobs

Fight For A For Future: Join the March for Jobs

Saturday 28th November 2009

Assemble 12 noon, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY

(nearest tube station Euston or Russell Square)

Local Transport up to London

Coach picking up from St Peters Church at 9.30am & Sussex University at 9.45am

Tickets £4. To reserve a seat, get involved or for more info...

Phone: 07984027754

Email: brightonyouthfightforjobs@gmail.com

Facebook: 'Brighton Youth Fight For Jobs'

Local Gig Fundraiser for Youth Fight For Jobs

Tuesday 24th November from 8pm @ The Hope, Queens Road

Bands include: UK-Vacant

Convict Minority

Chairman Wow!

Coach tickets will be available at the gig for half price!

PROTEST AGAINST NEW LABOUR!

Join the trade union-led demostration this Sunday 27 September against the New Labour Party as it gathers for its conference in Brighton.

The Socialist Party and the Youth Fight For Jobs campaign will join the rally and march with a lively and vocal contingent to display the massive anger at New Labour's failure in supporting capitalism and big business instead of the millions of unemployed youth and working people who've been left at the mercy of the recession.

As the level of joblosses grow and the impact of this crisis of capitalism is heaped further and further on young people the working class with cuts, cuts and more cuts, it becomes more and more urgent that an organised fighting campaign is built to demand an end to being thrown on the scrap pile and for decent jobs and a decent future for all. Get organised and come tell New Labour what we want!

Assemble 12.30pm Madeira Drive, Brighton

Socialists campaign against unemployment in Hastings

Socialist Party members from across the South East took part in a day of action in Hastings this Saturday. Comrades helped to spread word of the Youth Fight For Jobs campaign with nearly a thousand leaflets distributed and over 100 petition signitures collected demanding more is done to create real jobs for all.

With unemployment for under 25s set to top 1 million by the end of this summer it is crucial that the trade union movement, socialists, all youth and the unemployed unite and organise to demand proper support, jobs and living conditions for everyone affected by the economic crisis. If the capitalists and the bankers who caused this mess can get a bailout, why can't the rest of us?

Click here to find out about the national demonstration that the Youth Fight For Jobs campaign is organising on the 28 November with trade union support from the RMT, PCS and CWU.

For more information visit www.youthfightforjobs.com or email us at info.bhsp@gmail.com to find out how you can get involved in our next local day of action.

Youth Fight For Jobs leading the youth fight back

Youth Fight For Jobs demonstration in Rhondda, Wales

The Youth Fight For Jobs campaign has raised its profile right across Britain as the leading youth organisation fighting back against the effects of the current recession following a recent successful fortnight of action. Sarah Wrack, from the University of Sussex Socialist Students group, reports back from the events that took place locally.

In Brighton we decided to concentrate on a fundraising gig and a meeting for the fortnight of action. After the European election results, we thought it was important to discuss the threat posed by the racist far-right British National Party and how they have no solutions to the difficulties young people suffer in the economic crisis.

The meeting also provided a good opportunity to talk about building YFJ locally. We decided to write a leaflet and build for a protest around the issue of agencies which are used to recruit a lot of people in Brighton, particularly students, to jobs with poor pay, conditions and job security.

The gig raised £70 and speeches between bands meant we could get our ideas to a layer of young people who may not initially be interested in coming to political meetings. One of the most important things we gained from the fortnight was that people who had not previously organised activities took charge and learnt a lot from the experience, meaning they will be able to take a lead for future events.

This, combined with meeting several people interested in getting involved and making good concrete plans, means the fortnight of action definitely gave YFJ more local focus in Brighton.

For more info on the campaign check out www.youthfightforjobs.com or email us at info.bhsp@gmail.com if you want to get involved locally.