Attacks begin at Bangor University

Earlier in the year, Bangor university vice-chancellor, Merfyn Jones, announced Ł5 million in cuts to be made at the same time as receiving a 9%, above inflation, pay rise. According to lecturers' union UCU, 40 jobs are under threat in health sciences and 67 staff face losing full time contracts.

Iain Dalton

University management are now lining up the final salary pension scheme in their sights, and have recently announced they will change it to a career average scheme as well as other cutbacks. This only affects low and middle paid staff, leaving management with their pensions intact! In response, Unite and Unison, who represent the affected staff, have called a protest.

Socialist Students at Bangor University will be supporting the protest and are calling on the Students Union to unite with the campus trade unions to build a campaign against cuts.

As Bangor Students Union senate recently voted to lapse the policy supporting the Campaign to Defeat Fees passed by referendum last year (the votes of 17 people undoing the vote of 271 students), Socialist Students members and other activists will be drafting an updated policy to be debated at the next Students Union senate.

Even if this fails to pass, which is likely given the lack of action or poorly organised action taken by the Students Union, Socialist Students and other Campaign to Defeat Fees supporters will continue supporting action by university staff whilst building a movement against cuts and for free education.

Save Our Pensions protest, called by Unison and Unite. Friday 27 November, 12.30, outside main arts building.

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In The Socialist 25 November 2009:

'We wont pay for the crisis'