Photo Exhibition

Where it all started in May 2012

This month has marked a year of struggle against the privatisation of Sussex University. Things have inevitably slowed down on the public and student side of the campaign. But work has been ongoing behind the scenes, especially for the trade unions and workers.

This week, the Pop Up Union was certified as a trade union!

http://www.certoffice.org/Nav/Trade-Unions/Pop-up-Union,The-%281%29.aspx

http://popupunion.org/post/50494055810/its-official-the-pop-up-union-a-listed-trade-union

This is absolutely fantastic news. Big thank you and respect to all the people who have worked so hard to make this unique and original initiative of solidarity happen. We know it has also created debates and questions, but we believe it has had a positive impact on pushing the other trade unions in the right direction, and has always supported and encouraged its members to stay affiliated with their existing unions for more general protection.

The pop up union is an innovative and additional tool for collective bargaining and uniting the campus workforce. The only group it threatens is a management team whose unilateral decisions and arrogance are severely questioned by not only a very large proportion of the campus community, staff and students, but also the broader general public and global academic community.

Evidence for this support has been amply provided by petitions, referendums, polls and consultative ballots organised by the student union and trade unions, staff meetings, departmental and school statements, high-profile events, debates in the media, etc. A fact which, unbelievably or not, has not stopped the Vice-Chancellor getting a pay-rise during the outsourcing crisis, for a salary now reaching £280,000. What will it take to stop managerialism in Higher Education from abrogating itself decision powers, and amassing capital, without the consent and at the expense of its staff and students?

The answer is a continuous, united and organised resistance. At Birmingham University and UCLAN,  this has led to the forced rejection of privatisation plans. At Sussex, a small step was announced today in terms of pensions. The discourse of management has changed, and is now responding to the ‘feelings of the campus community’. This is the proof that pressure from all parties concerned has an effect. However, this is also another tactic to try and silence the discontent over the whole project of outsourcing and over the management’s appalling behaviour throughout this last year.

Today, Friday 17 May, an encouraging meeting was held by the campus trade unions, and showed a strong desire to continue the fight; management’s pensions concessions are just not enough. Next week, more meetings and discussions will be taking place.

Yellow squares showing academic support on campus – Arts C

As every Monday, a pop union meeting is organised this 20 May, 1pm, Fulton 103. If a staff member at Sussex, you can join the historic movement for only 50p a month.

We want to express our support to the Brighton Council Workers and GMB who have led an incredible campaign to stand up for their pay. As they supported us, it’s time to support them, you can see how to do so here. Also, the University of London Union (ULU) has been threatened with closure. Full support must be given to this campaign, so close to home. Finally, an inspiring occupation of the Cooper Union President’s Office in New York City is also ongoing, and deserves our attention.

March 25 Demo Photo Ole Johannes Kaland

Below you’ll find the Pop Up Union’s rule book. But first, here are some articles published recently related to the campaign, with some evidence that the yellow square has made it back to its roots.

Prof Violaine Lemay from Quebec (Canada) proudly wearing a Sussex yellow Square! (Montreal, 10 May 2013)

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/we-must-fight-commercialisation-in-our-universities-before-its-too-late-8615903.html

‘Sussex Utopia’ http://theoccupiedtimes.org/?p=11493

‘Account of March 25′ http://theoccupiedtimes.org/?p=11486

For those who speak German: http://derstandard.at/1363709831076/Occupy-Sussex-gegen-die-Uni-als-Fabrik

http://sqmagazine.co.uk/2013/05/feature-the-state-of-student-activism/?utm_campaign=Auto+Twitter+Links&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter

As amended by the general meeting 29 April 2013.

Rule 1. Name and structure

1.1  The union formed under these rules shall be known as the Pop-Up Union (hereafter called ‘the Union’).

1.2  This Rule Book applies to all members of the Union, and represents the entirety of the rules applicable to members of the Union, save as explicitly provided for under this Rule Book.

1.3  The Union shall be composed of workers brought together in an all-grades, all-trades organisation on the principle of one workplace, one union.

1.4  The structure shall be based on sections organised by building (or group of buildings), co-ordinated by building delegates, who should wherever possible be elected from the members in those buildings. Exceptionally, sections may be based on other criteria to buildings, e.g. if staff are not associated with any particular building.

1.5  Each nominated section of the Union will discharge its duties in accordance with s.44 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

1.6  The head office of the Union shall be The Pop-Up Union, Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project, 6 Tilbury Place, Brighton, BN2 0GY.

2. Aims and purpose

2.1 The Union exists to oppose the privatisation and outsourcing of jobs and to bring jobs which have been privatised or outsourced back in-house.

2.2 The Union exists to regulate the relations of its members with their employers, in particular by opposing the outsourcing of jobs, and seeking to regulate related matters of terms and conditions of employment.

2.3 The Union recognises existing unions within the defined workplace, and will with said unions to create a coherent bargaining unit in accordance with its aims and purposes.  It is the primary aim of the Union to encourage worker solidarity by bringing all workers into contact with industrial unionism. Dues shall be set low to encourage dual membership and avoid duplication of functions with those unions which are represented or recognised within the workplace.

2.4 The Union is intended as a temporary organisation that shall be dissolved once its primary aims are secured. This decision will be made in accordance with a mandate as described in paragraph 4.1.

3. Membership

3.1 It is the aim of the Pop-Up Union to build working-class solidarity. The Pop-Up Union therefore actively opposes bigotry and discrimination on and off the job. No worker shall be excluded from the Pop-Up Union because of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, belief, disability, or sexual orientation.

3.2 Membership is open to all workers, whether porters, lecturers, cleaners or administrative workers, but can be denied to those workers whose employment is incompatible with the aims of this union. It is the right of the individual sections that constitute the Union to determine the definition of incompatibility.

3.3 Membership of the union is based on the payment of a monthly subscription (‘dues’). This shall be set at a flat rate of £0.50 (fifty pence) per month for all members. Members may chose to pay more if they wish, with any excess being treated as a donation towards the work of the union.

3.4 Students may become supporters of the union but not members, to ensure that the union consists wholly or mainly of workers. Supporters will be kept informed of the union’s activities and encouraged to organise themselves as they see fit, but will not have the status of members.

3.5 Members must not act in any way contrary to the rules or any duty or obligation imposed on that member by or pursuant to these rules.

3.6 The disciplinary sanctions shall include a warning or an expulsion.

3.7 A member shall have the right to appeal against any disciplinary sanctions to a specially convened disputes committee drawn from the membership.

3.8 Any disciplinary action invoked by the Union will be in accordance with ss.64 -67 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

4. Decision making

4.1 Decisions should be made collectively. This means they are made by mass meetings and workers on the job, not by officials. Unless otherwise agreed, decision making shall be by simple majority vote, or two-thirds majority for changes to the constitution.

4.2 Anyone elected to negotiate with management should have a mandate from the workforce that gives them clear guidance on what is and is not acceptable. Mass meetings of workers must be able to recall all delegates.

4.3 A meeting of delegates drawn from mass meetings, to co-ordinate different departments or work sites for example, constitutes a delegate council.

5. Officials and committees

5.1 All officials and committees of the union are purely administrative and lack decision-making power except as mandated by the membership and/or required by law.

5.2 The General Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for the administrative and financial business of the union as directed by the membership. The General Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for compliance with all statutory duties, including the duty to maintain a proper system of accounting and a register of members; the duty to submit audited annual returns; the duty to hold elections for certain offices. The General Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected in accordance with the law.

5.3 Other positions shall be mandated as recallable delegates by the membership as required (whether as stewards, web officers, publicity or any other function deemed necessary by the membership in accordance with the Union’s aims).

5.4 In the event of or in anticipation of a dispute, members may elect and mandate a strike committee. Ideally such a committee should consist of one delegate from each department or area likely to be involved in the dispute. The strike committee is the body of the union authorised to organise a ballot for industrial action (in accordance with the law).

6. Funds

6.1 The Union shall make no alliances with political parties and therefore shall maintain no party-political fund. A general fund will be maintained for use towards the campaigns and activities of the Union.

6.2 As a result of the low dues policy, the Union shall maintain no hardship fund. Members should make other arrangements for fundraising and support in anticipation of disputes.

6.3 The Union shall have no paid officials, although expenses may be claimed for union business subject to mandates or the approval of a members’ meeting.

6.4 The General Secretary-Treasurer should appoint the Trustee the day after the elections. The Trustee shall subject to the endorsement of the general meeting and shall have authority to open and operate such bank accounts on behalf of the Union as they consider appropriate.

6.5 The Accounts of the Union shall be audited at least once a year. The auditor shall be qualified in accordance with Section 34 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act (Consolidation) 1992. The appointment and removal of the auditor shall be subject to the provisions Section 35 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

8 May 2013

The Pop-up Union has been entered into the List of Trade Unions held by the Certification Officer with effect from 8 May 2013.

Apologies for the lack of updates (work had to takeover at some point!). Regardless, the campaign is ongoing, with important events regarding trade unions and meetings with management, and events planned for the next few weeks. Both UCU and Unite consultations came back with massive yes votes to industrial action over outsourcing. Unison sill to come. And the Pop Up Union has been certified! Make sure you join and help put pressure on other unions and management. It’s only 50p a month, and is open to all staff at Sussex.

Next campaign meeting is Tuesday 7 May at 6pm Falmer House Common Room.

Check the following articles, as the latest updates/commentaries.
£46,000 for an injunction which only lead to students arrested for peaceful protesting http://gabrielquotes.org.uk/2013/04/29/occupy-eviction-legal-fees/
the pop up union is getting publicity http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/niki-seth-smith/new-dawn-for-unions-frances-o%E2%80%99grady-and-economic-democracy

https://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/struggles-unions-pop-up-union-sussex-university/

The fantastic video of the campaign with interviews from all members of the campus, ‘Sussex: One Community’

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=fah9t6ePJDA&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dfah9t6ePJDA%26feature%3Dyoutu.be

Links to videos of the Chomsky event:
Part 1
Chomsky speaks to Sussex Against Privatisation 13/4/2013 Part 1
part 2
Chomsky speaks to Sussex Against Privatisation 13/4/2013 Part 2

Important exchanges on Times Higher Education

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/sussex-outsourcing-opposition-grows/2003338.article

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/comment/opinion/what-sussex-is-gaining/2003224.article?MsgId=196618#MsgId_196618

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/comment/opinion/what-sussex-is-losing/2003223.article

Thank you!

Demo 16 April 2013

Dear Sussex Against Privatization:

We, the undersigned, faculty, staff and students in the School of Education and Social Work, would like to show support for the Occupy Sussex and the Sussex Against Privatization campaign where its activities have been focused upon developing dialogue with those responsible for making decisions about outsourcing and privatization. We strongly believe in peaceful, considerate and participatory, community-based democratic decision-making in the process of developing ‘excellence’ at the University of Sussex. We commend the grassroots campaign where it has shown such values and for its tenacity. However, we strongly condemn all violent action and distress and damage caused to innocent parties.

We also strongly condemn all those in key strategic, decision-making positions within the university who wish to silence opposition against the privatization and commodification of the university environment. We wish to make clear our opposition to the restrictions placed upon those within the university community to exercise their rights to protest. We are concerned that the requirement to seek prior written permission to protest, from university authorities, highly restricts a basic democratic freedom. More than this, however, it antagonizes a long-held Sussex tradition, which actively invites critique and comment. We believe in the participation of all in the democratic decision making of critical issues that affect the quality of experience of all those in their working, day-to-day environments.

We would like to call upon all parties to come together, without recrimination, to engage in constructive dialogue concerning the future of the University of Sussex and whether privatization and outsourcing is aligned with the values we hold as a community.

In Solidarity,

Faculty and Staff (Alphabetical by surname)

Dr. David Baker, Visiting Research Fellow, Education
Dr. Barbara Crossouard, Senior Lecturer, Education; Education PhD Convenor
Jean Gould, Associate Tutor, Social Work and Social Care
Prof. Mario Novelli, Professor, Political Economy of Education; Programme Leader, International Doctorate in Education
Vanessa Regan, Curriculum Tutor, PGCE MFL, Admissions Tutor BA CY:TP
Prof. Rachel Thomson, Professor, Childhood & Youth Studies, Social Work; Director, Centre for Innovation and Research in Childhood and Youth (CIRCY)
Jo Tregenza, Teaching Fellow, Education; Primary PGCE Leader
Lisa Williams, Course Co-ordinator (BASW & MASW Assessment & Progress)

Students (Alphabetical by surname)

Rosa Atkinson-Wilks, BA Social Work
Bethanie Brannigan Bell, BA Social Work
Stuart Cameron, PhD Education
Emily Danvers, PhD Education
Sara Maria Camacho Felix, International Doctorate Education
Jessica Gagnon, PhD Education, Student Rep
Amanda Geary, MA Social Work
Padmini Iyer, PhD Education
Sarah Leaney, PhD Education
Gemma North, PhD Social Work
Joss Nott, BA Social Work
Sally Rymer, BA Social Work
Francesca Salvi, PhD Education
Amanda Soley, BA Social Work
Rebecca Webb, PhD Education

Dear Occupy Sussex

As staff, faculty, tutors and research students in the School of History, Art History and Philosophy, we wish to express our support for your campaign against the outsourcing of campus services and its consequent likely deterioration of the terms and conditions of the 235 staff affected, and for your attempts to persuade the senior management to engage in a dialogue with the university community on the outsourcing proposal.

We deplore the management’s refusal to engage in such a dialogue, and its decision instead to evict the protestors occupying the Conference Centre, and to use a court order to ban future protests. We call on the management to lift this ban and to halt the outsourcing process pending a serious and open dialogue with the university community on it.

Yours
Dr Tom Akehurst (History, Associate Tutor)
Fiona Allan (HAHP, Professional Services)
Dr Hester Barron, (History)
Dr Sophie Bisset (History, Associate Tutor)
David Boyne (History, Doctoral Researcher)
Dr Benedict Burbridge (Art History)
Natacha Chevalier (History, Associate Tutor)
Dr Andrew Chitty (Philosophy)
Dr Vinita Damodaran (South Asian History)
Sian Edwards (History, Associate Tutor)
Prof Martin Evans (Modern European History)
Dr Gordon Finlayson (Philosophy)
David Geiringer (History, Associate Tutor)
Lisa Greening (HAHP Professional Services)
Sophie Heath (HAHP, Professional Services)
Rose Holmes (History, Associate Tutor)
Phillip Homburg (Philosophy, Associate Tutor)
Chris Kempshall (History, Associate Tutor)
Jill Kirby (History, Associate Tutor)
Ahmed Koyes, (HAHP, Professional Services)
Dr Claire Langhamer (Modern British History)
Michelle Maher (History, Doctoral Researcher)
Dr Leila McKellar (Art History, Associate Tutor)
Patrick Levy (Philosophy, Associate Tutor)
Alexa Neale (History, Doctoral Researcher)
Dr Jacob Norris (Middle Eastern History)
Sally Palmer, (History, Doctoral Researcher)
Dr Lucy Robinson (Modern British History)
Dr Darrow Schecter (Italian)
Dr Nadine Schibille (Art History)
Rebecca Shtasel (History, Doctoral Researcher)
Dr Rebecca Searle (History, Associate)
Dr Claudia Siebrecht (Modern European History)
Dr Francesco Ventrella (Art History, Tutorial Fellow)
Dr Chris Warne (French History)
Paul Weir (History, Associate Tutor)
Dr Keith Wilson (Philosophy, Tutorial Fellow)
Dr Gerhard Wolf (German History)

Tim Carter (Philosophy, Associate Tutor)

Communique from the occupiers of the Arts Piazza Cafe.

After a demo of over 300 people, students and staff at the university have occupied the Arts Piazza cafe on campus. This flash occupation demonstrates that we are not afraid to take action in support of our services. We will not be intimidated by management’s cowardly injunctions and attempts to stifle protest on campus.

We continue to stand with the staff affected by the proposed plans to outsource and offer solidarity to our comrades facing court proceedings this week.

We continue to take action in the knowledge that we are supported by students and staff across campus and the country.

Through occupation we demonstrate to bidders that we will not welcome their presence on campus. Furthermore, any bidder interested in taking up a contract should consider this a warning shot.

The campaign against outsourcing is growing day by day. Our actions will leave the incongruous architecture of management’s plans in ruins. We leave this space in anticipation of further action and with management on the back foot.

STATEMENT – 4pm – Tuesday 16th April 2013

Today marked an important step in the continuation and growth of the Sussex Against Privatisation Campaign. After 11 months of campaigning, a seven week long occupation, the launch of the worker led Pop Up Union, an EDM signed by 31 MP’s and continued expressions of support from across the campus community, management still ignore the will of the University.

At 1pm today, hundreds of students and staff from Sussex University came out on campus to demonstrate, despite the injunction that management have obtained outwardly banning all forms of protest on the Sussex campus. The assembly was once again addressed by students and staff, and led to an occupation of Arts Piazza Café. To any staff members who may have felt concerned by the students and numbers of private security guards entering the Cafe we apologise, and we continue to ensure the relationship that exists between our community continues.

Today the campaign also heard from a member of staff, who announced that as of Monday 15th April 2013, an indicative questionnaire/ballot has been sent to all campus trade unions (UCU, Unite and Unison) to demonstrate the Unions willingness to support their staff and show management that action will be taken if they do not begin to listen to the University in crisis, and halt their privatisation plans.

A further statement will be released shortly.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/videonews/

Sign the petition! http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-protest-ban-at-sussex-university?

To whom it may concern,

We, the undersigned faculty, staff and students of the school of English would like to express our support for the campaign against outsourcing at the University of Sussex. Additionally, we would like to highlight our concern toward the silencing and censorship of members of our campus, and the refusal by management to engage in meaningful dialogue with students, staff and trade unions. As scholars of English we are attuned to the use of language – particularly the implications of the misuse and abuse of language as that language relates to power. We feel that recent use of language by management regarding the student occupation of Bramber House and outsourcing of services is bringing Sussex into disrepute. Furthermore, the ban on protesting and the disproportionate use of force with regards to the eviction is a clear attempt to control and abuse language and power.

We applaud the way those involved in the campaign against outsourcing have attempted to re-think the way we communicate as a university and ask management to engage in open dialogue with those who have expressed their concerns.

The current situation is untenable for the undersigned English students, faculty and staff who feel uncomfortable with the misrepresentation of Sussex in the media, the lack of open discourse with those openly expressing their concerns, and the continued undermining of a significant proportion of students at Sussex.

Dr John David Rhodes, Reader in Literature and Visual Culture

Joseph Ronan, PhD student and AT Kristian White – PhD Student and Associate Tutor

Naomi Booth, Associate Tutor

Luke Walker, DPhil candidate & Associate Tutor

Dr Alistair Davies, Senior Lecturer in English 

Dr. Ruth Charnock, Teaching Fellow in 19^th and 20^th century literature

Dr. Pamela Thurschwell, Senior Lecturer in English

Dr Denise deCaires Narain, Senior Lecturer in English 

Dr.Maria Roth-Lauret, Reader in English and American Literature

Dr Daniel Kane, Reader in English and American Literature

Emma Carlyle, School Administrator

Juliette Cule, Chair rep for the School of English
Ross Davidson, Senate rep for the Arts
Laura Ellen Joyce – AT and DPhil candidate
Paddy Johnston – PhD Student, School of English
Azad Sharma
William Kilner
Paul Moore, BA English Literature
Philippa St George, DPhil candidate, School of English
Philippa Roloff

Florence Warner

Javier Olloqui Redondo

Kate Coenen-Rowe

Rob McGregor

Imogen Towner

Roisin Healy

Alice Ironside

Heather Holcroft-Pinn

Florella Scozzafava

Jessica Thompson

Tigan Palmer

Francesca Abbott

Lisa Kearley

Thomas Briars

Thomas Houlton, 2nd year PhD Candidate, School of English

Ronan McKinney – PhD candidate

Alice Wadsworth

Katherine Da Cunha Lewin

Thomas Clarke

Daniel Ranken

Tabitha Longley-Coomber

Jenny Davis

Zachary James Rowlinson

Rowan Gleadle

Taru Mäkinen

Naomi Benjamini

Kate Jellyman

Isabella Silvers

Sam Hetherington

Anna Pitts

Jack Phillips

Dan Butler

Helen Nicholson

Billy Clerkin

Jessica McClean

Emily Roach Osborne

Chloé Locatelli

Gabriella Myers

John Attridge

Kitty Wordsworth

Alaina Briggs

Rupert Spurrier

Francesca Rampley

Eleanor Walsh

Maya Osborne (MA Critical Theory)

Sara Cvetkovska

Byron Taylor

Laura Bishop

Tania Baldock

Emily Holliday

Tom Hastings (MA Critical Theory)

Donna MacPherson

Jinan Golley

Connie Free

Andrew Key, MA Critical Theory

Justin Sealey

Sophie Calvert

Felicity Harris

Will Long, MA Student, English

Michael Rowland, PhD student

Sofia Marrache, MA Student

Ben Meredith

Frances Rose Boyt

Joshua Jones

Anisa Sanford

Anna Lyon, PhD Student

Isabel Lincoln

Camilla Davies

Nat Raha, PhD Student

Rowan Dent

Jasmine Parry

Oliver Bennathan

Aaron Benedetti

Josh Cook

Bee Thomas

5-7PM FALMER HOUSE COMMON ROOM OR MEETING ROOM 2

Please come and help organising to support the 235!

Want to know why it’s important and why anybody can chip in, even for just a couple of hours? Read this: http://girlignited.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/armchair-politics-and-the-top-three-excuses-for-doing-sweet-f-a/

For a beautiful collection of accounts of the struggle, see here: http://www.metamute.org/editorial/articles/weaponise-corpse-anti-privatisation-struggle-sussex-university

We finally have a paypal account for donations, please see here: http://sussexagainstprivatization.wordpress.com/donate/

Friday 12 April 4.30-6pm Jubilee Lecture Theatre – NOAM CHOMSKY

Noam Chomsky (MIT) will be speaking to us LIVE from Massachusetts for a unique Q&A session. He has supported the campaign since the Occupation of Bramber House in February, and is eager to meet us and discuss privatisation in academia and student struggles. https://www.facebook.com/events/153801834777748/

NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION AGAINST PRIVATISATION 15-19 April

Photo: Ole Johannes Kaland

‘After an 8 week occupation at the University Of Sussex against the privatisation of university services, the management evicted 25 students with 12 riot vans and 80 police on campus. Now 5 students have been charged after peaceful protests.
Escalation breeds escalation. We will not accept this behaviour from our own management, and feel that other universities across the country should not accept the draconian changes being made to higher education on a national level.
This is a National Week of Action against attacks on the public university and the community values towards which higher education should be geared. We must stand in solidarity with each other in the face of these changes. Actions must take place all over the country – big or small – from daily stalls to occupations.

Fight for the right to work.
Fight for the right to learn.
Fight for the Public University.
Resist. Organise. Occupy.

Wherever you are put up a poster, organise a meeting, a demonstration, a direct action. artwork or performance: Against privatisation, against fees, against low pay and pensions, against mass-produced wholesale education, against assaults on our welfare, against a neoliberal tirade that sees no abating.’

https://www.facebook.com/events/642567795760416/

Tuesday 16 April 1pm Library Sq. CAMPUS STRIKES BACK: Demonstration

Messages and statements of support from academics at the University of Sussex have been flooding in since the eviction of the occupation. We now have statements from members of the departments of Anthropology, International Relations and Sociology; from the Centre for Social and Political Thought, and from the Centre for Gender Studies; from the School of Media, Film, and Music, and the School of English; and also from the notorious Institute of Development Studies (IDS)!

Moreover, the three campus trade unions are talking in light of organising a consultative ballot; though its finalisation is still unclear, students and staff members from all unions are very eager to see this happen as soon as possible. Be sure to let your branch officers know how you feel so that they can take the right decision.

Finally, support and membership for the Pop Up Union is growing. Watch this space!

In other words, the campus community is getting its act together, and will demonstrate this support next Tuesday.
https://www.facebook.com/events/117987391730066/?fref=ts

Wednesday 17 April 2pm Demonstration outside Sodexo, London

Sodexo is one of the bidders at Sussex University as part of the much opposed privatisation plans. Our demonstration should be considered as a warning shot to not just Sodexo, but to any company that thinks it can make a profit from not only Sussex campus, but any campus in the country.

These companies are the ones who are benefiting from the commodification of higher education. They should be viewed in the same way we view our profiteering management. Therefore we must stand up against Sodexo, their bidding on the livelihoods of workers, and their contribution to the marketisation of higher education.

Sodexo is Toxic.
Let’s perform a Sodexorcism.

So, every student from every university, meet at 2PM at Sodexo HQ, armed with banners and chants to tell Sodexo to SOD OFF.

https://www.facebook.com/events/446982578711156/?fref=ts

From Members of the International Relations Department

Dear Occupation

As staff, tutors and faculty of the International Relations department at the University of Sussex we wish to again express our continued support and respect for your efforts to stop the outsourcing of catering and facilities management at the university.

By standing alongside the 235 affected staff you have also shed light on issues that extend well beyond the university. We share your vision of a university as a community space of dialogue, learning and support rather than a business of service providers and consumers. Faculty and tutors from our department have spoken at the Occupation and we admire the open, peaceful and welcoming space you created.

We cannot understand why, if the university is convinced so of its case, it is unwilling to engage in meaningful public dialogue. We are appalled that management is both evicting the Occupation and banning all protests on campus that  have not received the explicit, prior permission of the university authorities.  It is an affront to the spirit of our department and shames our university.

We will continue to support the campaign in its efforts to overcome both the outsourcing of support services and the disproportionate management response to the campaign.

Current Faculty Members

Dr Jan Selby

Dr Earl Gammon

Dr Anna Stravianakis

Dr Paul Kirby

Dr Samuel Knafo

Dr Kamran Matin

Dr Zdenek Kavan

Dr Stephanie Ortmann

Dr Kevin Gray

PhD Students and Associate Tutors

Dr Ishan Cader

Dr Maia Pal

Dr Andrea Lagna

Yavuz Tuyoqlu

Tom Martin

Neil Dooley

Sahil Dutta

Kerem Nisancioglu

Richard Lane

George Moody

Steffan Wyn-Jones

Synne Laastad Dyvik

Oli Weiss

Darius A’Zami

Sam Appleton

Frances Thompson

Adam Fishwick

Daniel Watson

Evren Elken

William Laureano

David Saunders

Yuliya Yurchenko

Nancy Turgeon

Luke Cooper

Matt Hughes

Jasper Green

Staff

Kit Eves