Open letter: students support no vote on pensions offer
Dear UCU members,
We are students who over the past month have witnessed the most extraordinary strike action the Higher Education sector has seen in years. We have stood with you on the picket lines because we understand that an attack on our staff is an attack on us: we see the struggle for fair pensions as part of the struggle against the marketisation of our universities, which is increasingly driving universities to behave like corporations, rather than the centres of knowledge and learning that they should be.
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From the beginning of this dispute you consistently argued that ‘this is about more than pensions’; if this strike is won, students and staff will be in a much better position to roll back the marketisation of education, from an end to tuition fees, casualisation, the gender pay gap, and outsourcing, to the democratisation of our institutions. Together we have shown that #WeAreTheUniversity, that together workers and students run the show, and together if necessary we can shut it down: we have shaken higher education to the bone.
The recent four weeks of strike action have demonstrated the strength of student-staff solidarity, and the power of industrial action.
Thousands have joined picket lines and demonstrations, many have organised teach-outs putting up talks and events challenging the boundaries of our current curriculums, and we have witnessed the biggest wave of student occupations (with a total of 24 across the country) since the 2010 student movement. On the 13th of March, the rank and file stood up to the UCU leadership and declared “#NoCapitulation” when UUK attempted to end the strike through a compromising, bogus proposal which simply pledged to delay the removal of defined benefits.
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You have received a ballot to vote on UUK’s most recent proposal. As it stands, this proposal is vague, offering few concrete guarantees. The USS pension scheme is in surplus, the deficit is fabricated, but this proposal could see UUK continuing to use the November valuation. We are disappointed that despite the majority of branches voting #ReviseAndResubmit, UCU leadership balloted this proposal. As #NoCapitulation demonstrated, a union is its grassroots members. While the proposal is a significant step forward from January, it is not the outcome you spent morning after morning shivering in the snow for.
We understand you have already lost 14 days of pay due to strike action, and we thank you for your sacrifice. Nevertheless we want to let you know that we continue to stand in full solidarity with you, and will continue lending our support if you reject this deal and go back to the picket lines after the holidays. We recognise that striking close to the exam period will put you under additional pressure, but students are conscious that UUK and university management is to blame for disruption. This strike action has already made significant gains, and we fear accepting UUK’s proposal would undermine the reason why the strikes started in the first place.
It’s not just students on your side. Your strength has given inspiration to the entire labour movement. You were the first to defeat the Tories’ ballot threshold with resounding, national action. Together you have clocked almost half a million total strike days, more than the rest of the UK combined over the last two years. You’ve received international solidarity from West Virginia, Germany, Delhi, and beyond. Furthermore, sister unions UNISON and EIS have announced a national ballot on the USS issue, while at the University of London, the IWGB is coordinating the biggest ever strike of outsourced workers in UK higher education history to coincide with USS strikes.
With the momentum growing and growing, now is not the time to accept an ambiguous proposal. This strike has changed everything. A different university is within our reach. Now is the time to stretch our collective raised fist further and demand more. We express our full solidarity with the rank-and-file agitating for a ‘No’ vote and pledge to stand firmly beside you should industrial action continue.
Signed,
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Helena Navarrete Plana |
Warwick For Free Education |
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Arthur Taylor |
King's College London |
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Ava Matheis |
SOAS |
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Ky Andrea Advert |
Warwick For Free Education/ University of Warwick |
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Monty Shield |
Alliance for Workers' Liberty |
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Charlea Murphy |
The University of Sheffield |
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Stan Laight |
Sheffield Marxist Society |
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Jake Roberts |
University of Surrey |
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Elliott O'Rourke |
University of Sheffield |
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Jacob D Allen |
University of Surrey |
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Alison Worden |
Surrey University |
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Chris Townsend |
The Free University of Sheffield |
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Jack Kershaw |
UCL |
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Dominique Hua |
UCL |
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Josh Chown |
University of Surrey/Surrey Labour Students |
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Malcolm Lowe |
University of Warwick |
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Dora Dimitrova |
UCL Marxist Society |
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Alicia Shearsby |
The University of Warwick/Warwick for Free Education |
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Stuart McMillan |
Sheffield SU Education Officer, NCAFC NC |
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Rowan Davis |
Oxford |
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Charlie Porter |
Free University of Sheffield |
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Richard Somervail |
UCL |
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Anika Heckwolf |
University of Warwick |
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Thalia Cox |
Warwick For Free Education |
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Malgosia Haman |
The Free University of Sheffield |
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Jerome Cox-Strong |
University of Reading |
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Ceri Bailey |
Cardiff University |
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Cate Schofield |
Cardiff University |
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Tassaneeya Robinson |
Cardiff University |
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Siobhan Owen |
University of Exeter |
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Alexander Lloyd |
University of Sheffield |
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Felicity Adams |
Keele University |
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Amin Lmoh |
University of Warwick student staff solidarity |
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Hemal Gangani |
University of Bath |
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Ana Oppenheim |
NUS NEC |
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Patricia McManus |
University of Brighton |
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Sam Burgum |
University of Sheffield |
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David B |
Warwick |
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Lauren Kennedy |
De Montfort University |
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Andrea Aakre |
#OccupyTheOctagon (QMUL) |
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Lughaidh Scully |
Aberdeen Students Support the Strike / Aberdeen Student Left |
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Martin Leonard |
University of York |
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Edward Williamson |
Free University of Sheffield |
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Julie Saumagne |
University of Warwick |
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Vijay Jackson |
USS Occupation Edinburgh |
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Harry Vinall-Smeeth |
Oxford |
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Aristidis Shukuroglou |
University of Reading Marxist Society |
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George Briley |
University of London, Goldsmiths |
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Emil-Dorian McHale |
University of Reading Marxist Society |
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Jacob Elliman |
University of Reading Marxist Society |
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Catherine Joanne McClane |
University of Reading Marxist Society |
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Matthew Lee |
UCL / UCL Cut The Rent / UCL Fund Our Mental Health Services / UoL Justice for Workers / UCL Free Education |
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Georgina Ryan |
The Free University of Sheffield |
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Nick McAlpin |
Exeter Students 4 UCU Strikes |
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Tyrone Falls |
University of Bristol |
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Cam Galloway |
The Free University of Sheffield |
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Hanin Abou Salem |
Cardiff University |
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Mohammed Bux |
University of Sheffield |
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Samar |
Bristol University |
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Sam Walker |
Manchester Plan C |
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Richard Somervail |
UCL |
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Alice Wright |
KCL |
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Dina Rider |
Queen Mary University of London |
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Martin Young |
QMUL |
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Robin Boardman |
University of Bristol |
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Nathan Wiliams |
University of Manchester/Save our Staff Manchester campaign |
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Ramona Kuh |
Queen Mary University |
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Jasmin Bath |
QMUL |
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Laura Barroso |
SOAS |
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Prarthana Krishnan |
Bristol Student-Staff Solidarity Group |
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Lily Baker |
Queen Mary University London |
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Clementine |
Bath Uni / Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts |
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Anna Klieber |
University of Bristol/ Bristol Student Staff Solidarity Group |
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Marlowe MacDonald |
University of Sheffield |
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Abby King |
Royal Holloway |
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Luke Tyers |
University of Bristol/Bristol Student-Staff Solidarity Group |
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Kerry Lambeth |
QMUL |
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Filippo Iorillo |
Queen Mary University of London |
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Molly Wilson |
University of Warwick |
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Conor Shail |
University of Bristol |
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Jack Shaw |
Warwick Marxists |
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Lewis Williams |
QMUL/Occupy the Octagon |
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Diego Millán Berdasco |
Queen Mary University of London |
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Ursula Shaw |
Cambridge |
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Pascal Salzbrenner |
Marxist Society, King's College London |
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Ian Cameron |
The Open University |
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Alexander Simpson |
Occupy Surrey 2018 |
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Alexander Wilkinson |
QMUL |
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Kendra Howard |
Queen Mary University of London |
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Lois Davies |
Bristol University/ BSSSG |
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Aiysha N Soddie |
Queen Mary, University of London |
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Juvan Gowreeswaran |
Marxist Student Federation (Warwick branch) |
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Paulina |
Cardiff University |
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James Roberts |
Free University of Sheffield |
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Tom Keene |
Goldsmiths University of London |
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Ted Lavis Coward |
Durham University |
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David Bullock |
Durham University/NCAFC |
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Ellen Adamson |
Queen Mary University of London |
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Eva Marcela Ponce de León Marquina |
Institute of Education (UCL) |
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Josh Berlyne |
Free University of Sheffield |
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Jessica |
Bath students Against Fees and Cuts |
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Archie Mellor |
BSAFC |
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Bonnie Carter |
Bristol university |
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Piers Eaton |
Durham Student-Staff Solidarity |
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Ada Wordsworth |
UCL |
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Bradley Allsop |
University of Lincoln student/UCU member |
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Jazmine Bourke |
Durham University |
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Jonathan Murden |
Durham University/Durham Left Activists |
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Zeid Truscott |
Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts |
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Beth Douglas |
NUS LGBT+ |
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Lewis Jarrad |
UCL |
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Rafaelle Benichou |
Warwick University |
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Lewis Macleod |
Aberdeen Students Support the Strike / Aberdeen SA |
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Aysha Khatun |
University of Warwick |
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Chris Knutsen |
Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts |
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Beckie Rutherford |
University of Warwick |
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Jemima Hindmarch |
QMUL |
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Kierin Offlands |
Lewisham Young Labour |
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Niamh Ashton |
University of Leicester |
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Rebecca Harrington |
Oxford Brookes Student Union |
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Hansika Jethnani |
Arts SU |
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Del Pickup |
University of Sheffield |
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Nadia Sayed |
Queen Mary Student + QM Socialist Worker Student Society |
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Mie Astrup Jensen |
Aberdeen Students Support the Strike |
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Dan Davison |
University of Cambridge |
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XingJian Li |
SOAS |
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Ash Edwards |
Queen Mary University of London |
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Siôn Davies |
QMUL / #OccupyTheOctagon |
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Lisa Taylor |
King's College London |
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Simona Alexandra |
King's College London |
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Cecy Marden |
University of Sheffield |
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Mark Crawford |
Students' Union UCL |
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Rebecca Larney |
KCL |
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Harper Stephens |
The Free University of Sheffield |
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Nicolás Navarro Padrón |
SOAS // SOAS Marxist Society |
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Thomas Evans |
King's College London |
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Konstantina Melina Lourou Terzaki |
King's College London |
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Savannah Whaley |
KCL |
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Sam Walton |
University of Reading |
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Joe Attard |
King's College London |
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Sainab Nuh |
King's College London |
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Harvi Chera |
University College London |
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Yasmin Huleileh |
Warwick University |
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Ramona Sharples |
King's College London Occupation |
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Jacob Shackleton |
Warwick University |
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Thushan Rajendram |
King's College London |
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Adam S. Jarvis |
Warwick University |
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Tom Bolitho |
King's College London |
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Sean Benstead |
Leeds Independent Socialists |
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Amy Norris |
King's College London |
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Megan Beech |
University of Cambridge |
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George Craddock |
Queen Mary Labour Society |
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Declan Burns |
University of Nottingham |
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Nick Oung |
UCL/Socialist Appeal |
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Sarah Combes |
King's College London |
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Khaled Eissa |
Kings College |
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Jennifer Jackson |
King's College London |
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Elizabeth Collins |
University of Southampton |
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Aaron Kwadwo Kyereh-Mireku |
University of Warwick/Warwick Marxists |
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Polly Creed |
University College London/ Power Play Activists |
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Mike Shaw |
Edinburgh |
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Sofia Doyle |
Bristol Staff Student Solidarity |
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Eve Bent |
Salford University |
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Thea Smith |
University of Bath |
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Eleanor Webb |
University of Warwick |
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Harriet Carroll |
University of Bath |
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Jordan Smith |
QM Young Greens |
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Sam Bough |
University of Kent - Canterbury |
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Thahmina Begum |
Queen Mary University |
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Chelsea Thompson |
University of Aberdeen |
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Jill L Crawford |
UEA |
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Kelli Conley |
University of Edinburgh |
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Ellinore Folkesson |
Glasgow University Student Solidarity |
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Matthias Bryson |
University of Edinburgh |
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Joanna Smith |
University of Edinburgh |
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Grace |
University of Edinburgh |
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Matthew Lee |
UCL / UCL Cut The Rent / UCL Fund Our Mental Health Services / UCL Free Education / UoL Justice for Workers |
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Katherine Butterfield |
Queen Mary university |
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Lorenzo Feltrin |
University of Warwick |
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Amethyst Di Tieri |
University of Edinburgh |
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Viktor Kardell |
Glasgow University |
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Savannah Wood |
University of Edinburgh |
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Alice Galatola |
Newcastle University |
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Rory Kent |
Cambridge Defend Education |
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Sean Currie |
University of Strathclyde |
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Carlus Hudson |
University of Portsmouth |
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Euan Ferguson |
University of Edinburgh |
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Emily Donnelly |
University of Edinburgh |
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Molly |
University of Keele |
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Oresta Muckute |
University of Reading |
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Matthew Gibson |
Durham University |
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Neve Ovenden |
Durham Student-Staff Solidarity |
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Elaena Elizabeth Shipp |
Bangor University and Gwyrddion Ifanc Bangor Young Greens |
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James Crosse |
Queen Mary University of London |
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Bohdan Starosta |
Strathclyde Students Support the Strike |
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Chelsea Lowdon |
Durham University/ Durham Student-Staff Solidarity |
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Carolin Zieringer |
Goldsmiths |
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Artur Wilk |
Leicester Student Action |
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Perry MEsney |
Cardiff University |
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Anne Løddesøl |
University of Edinburgh |
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Jamie |
Newcastle Student-Staff Solidarity |
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Dylan Woodward |
Bristol Uni |
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Niamh Sherlock |
Leicester Student Action |
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Jess Taylor Weisser |
Newcastle University |
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Ben Margolis |
Cambridge/CDE |
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José Figueira |
Newcastle University |
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Kayleigh Colbourn |
Royal Holloway University of London |
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Anthony Sanderson |
UEA |
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Matthew Sears |
Durham University |
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Alexander Pool |
Durham |
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Gwilym Evans |
University of Sheffield |
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Eleanor Cawte |
Cambridge University |
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Eleri Fowler |
University of Edinburgh |
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Jennie Layden |
Newcastle University |
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Holly Carter-Rich |
University of Manchester |
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Isabel del Pilar Arce Zelada |
Students Support the Strike Aberdeen |
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Emily Moore |
University of Sussex |
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Doha Abdelgawad |
Department of Political Science and International Relations. |
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Jack Mansell |
Sydney University Education Action Group |
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Rory McKinley |
Durham University |
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Amelia Talbot |
Uni of Leicester |
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Abi Cooper |
Durham University |
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Annie Jones |
University of Manchester/UCU/PhD Student |
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Woody Phillips-Smith |
University of Warwick |
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Howard Chae |
University of Cambridge |
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Niamh MacPhail |
University of Glasgow |
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William Campbell |
University of aberdeen |
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Joseph Jorgensen |
University of Manchester |
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Talia Reed |
Bangor University |
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Pablo Charro de la Fuente |
Business School |
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Herbie Hyndley |
University of Birmingham |
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Mark Lawrence |
Durham |
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Nomar Syking |
Falmouth University |
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Tihana Vlaisavljevic |
Queens University Belfast |
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Matthew Vaughan |
University of Liverpool |
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Declan McLean |
University of Strathclyde/Strathclyde University Labour Club |
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Lucy |
University of Hull |
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Sara Pernille Jensen |
University of Bristol |
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Scott Seton |
University of Essex |
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Alex Kumar |
Oxford SU |
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Scott lumsden |
University of Glasgow |
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Conor Muller |
University of York / University of York Labour |
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Aleph Ross |
University of Cambridge |
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Ayse |
Cardiff University |
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Declan Downey |
The Free University of Sheffield |
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Nickolas Tang |
King's College London |
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Finn Weldin |
University of Kent |
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Joseph Evans |
University of Cambridge |
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Sophie Neibig |
SOS Manchester / Uni of Manchester |
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Priyanka Moorjani |
KCL |
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Warren Gratton |
University of Surrey |
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Alexandra Briggs |
University of Edinburgh |
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Rachel |
Save Our Staff MCR |
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Eleonora Colli |
King's College London |
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Adam Jones |
UCL |
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Heather McKnight |
University of Sussex |
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Guy Forsyth |
Durham Student-Staff Solidarity Group |
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Mr J H Lees |
Leicester university |
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Amelia |
Newcastle |
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Susie Gray |
Cardiff University |
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Yvonni Gkergkes |
University of Edinburgh |
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Kathryn Blagg |
University of Sheffield |
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Charmaine Mandivenga |
Queen Mary |
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Danielle Wright |
University of Sheffield |
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Zack Murrell-Dowson |
Bristol University/ Bristol Student Staff Solidarity Group |
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Max Riley |
University of Reading Students Union |
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George Bunn |
University of Sheffield |
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