New TPS Portal

There is a new UCU portal focussing on the threats to TPS.

http://tps.web.ucu.org.uk/

Wakefield Strike Picket Line in Pictures

There was a successful picket line at Thornes Park Campus this morning. We managed to stay for 3 hours despite the rain and we attracted a lot of supportive hoots from passing cars.

The umbrellas went down as the sun came out briefly and our branch banner took pride of place.

Like any proper picket line things wouldn't be right without at least one copy of Socialist Worker

May 10th Hardship Funds

Solidarity Hardship Fund

The committee appreciates that some members may experience hardship as a result of striking on May 10^th. With this in mind, we have put a hardship fund into place for members to access should they need to. Some members for instance are single parents or the sole breadwinner, others have two members of the same family striking or may experience other financial difficulties. We have a small fund available to help and will do our best to support you. In order to apply, please contact Lesley Kimber or Peter Korn Morris in the first instance stating that you would like to make a hardship application. The process is completely confidential. We would also encourage members to contribute to the fund. A collection will be coming to your staff room soon or give donations to any member of the committee!

 Wakefield College UCU are now ‘twinned’ with Wakefield and District NUT. The NUT voted unanimously to twin with us at a recent committee meeting where a member of the committee was a guest speaker. The twinning process was borne out of the frustrations felt by many NUT members at not being called out with London Teachers on the 28^th March. NUT members made collections and sent ‘solidarity’ cards and 44 boxes of cup cakes to picket lines across central London.

Wakefield and District NUT have sent collection sheets to schools in Wakefield area and plan to donate the proceeds to our hardship fund. They also voted to donate the remaining collection money from the London Cup Cake collection to our hardship fund. The committee would like to express our gratitude on behalf of the membership for this.