The Solidarity Federation Education Union (SFEU) utterly condemns Leeds University management’s contemptuous disregard for the nationally agreed strike protocols in threatening 100% wage deductions for "partial performance" of duties and in demanding that cancelled lectures be somehow replaced in the future. A strike by definition means the withholding of our labour, not simply re-arranging that labour to another day. Staff members are not paid when they strike - replacing cancelled lectures just adds to the unpaid workload that caused staff to strike in the first place and dilutes the impact of the industrial action. These threats constitute an aggressive escalation and a cruel attempt to gain leverage by imposing punitive measures on staff during a cost of living crisis, which management have cynically attempted to hide behind the facade of “dedication, passion and care for our students”.
The Solidarity Federation Education Union (SFEU) supports the strike action by Leeds University workers in UNISON, as well as the ongoing ballot for industrial action by academic staff in the UCU. We have members in both unions – and you can support them by not crossing the picket line. This means staying out of university buildings while the strike is going on.*
Support staff vs the University: the UNISON dispute
UNISON is currently in dispute with both the University of Leeds and UCEA (the body of employers) nationally. The union at Leeds represents support staff, ranging from porters and estates through to all aspects of administration and student support.
In 2018 Mencap, the learning disability charity with an unappealing name, took the government to court. Mencap wanted to challenge an earlier ruling on whether or not sleep shifts count as work, for the purposes of calculating the national minimum wage. They won their case and now, thanks to them, sleep shifts are no longer legally recognised as work. So if you sleep as part of your job, your boss doesn’t have to pay you for it.
I am lucky; I haven’t worked a sleep shift for years — they do not involve a lot of actual sleep. In my old job in a dementia unit I would work a late shift from 3pm-10pm, at 6am I would start getting residents washed and dressed, and between 10pm and 6am I was nominally “asleep” and therefore not getting paid. Even if I was getting paid, this would still be a breach of Working Time Regulations (something that most care workers opt out of when we sign our contracts).
Hull SolFed held another anti-workfare ‘demo’ on Saturday the 20th, this time a mobile one. Based on suggestions on the Boycott Workfare website, we held a walk a shame through hull town center, stopping at nine different workfare providers, forming a picket outside each store, handing out leaflets and talking to shoppers. We also had some musical accompaniment, which helped to draw attention to the picket and kept the day more interesting.
Hull Solfed has continued to picket Poundland over it’s involvement in the governments discredited workfare scheme, holding a picket on the 8th, and a week later on the 15th. Hull SolFed intends to keep holding weekly pickets of the shop, starting at 1pm every Saturday.
Both the 8th and the 15th had a decent turn out of six people, handing out a large number of leaflets (a couple of hundred, approx), talking to many members of the public, and turning some shoppers away from Poundland. The 8th was marked by EDL activity, although our picket took place long after they had disappeared into a pub somewhere, and we were in contact with other local anti-fascists on the day. The 15th was noticeably less hectic, and luckily had much nicer weather (we may even have to buy some sunscreen for next time).Alongside Hull Solfed, we were joined on the picket line by a number of supporters, all from different backgrounds, including unemployed and retired people.
Members of Solidarity Federation West Yorkshire and Calderdale Locals and Leeds Anarchist Federation joined over 1,000 marchers at the Leeds Anti-Bedroom Tax demonstration called by Hands Off Our Homes - Leeds on 20 April 2013.
Protesters assembled outside Leeds City Art gallery before a short march round the city centre, finishing with a rally and speakers.
SF opposes all government austerity measures as despicable attacks on the living standards of our class. Working class solidarity and direct action like strikes and eviction-prevention are what is needed to beat back the rich scum in power.
The latest copy of the West Yorkshire SolFed newsletter, Spanner in the Works, was released to an unsuspecting public on Saturday 20 April 2013. Articles on ex-Remploy workers, David Brown Ltd, May Day, Freedom benefit and workplace victimisation. Initial distribution took place at the anti-bedroom tax demonstration in Leeds and later the same day at the Freedom Press benefit gig at Bradford's 1in12 Club. Available to download here: http://db.tt/aGUdeY2f
Hull SolFed recently held a picket against the Workfare scheme outside of the new Poundland store, in the centre of town. Four SolFed members were joined by three members of the local unemployed peoples group in distributing leaflets and asking shoppers not to use Poundland. The picket managed to both turn customers away and engaged a lot of sympathetic passersby in conversation about the workfare scheme. The stores managers were unpleased with the picket, asking Humberside police to move us a small distance away from the doors (Approx 6 inches, in fact!). One member decided to respond with loud slogans, causing more interest than before.
Leeds - Prisoner letter writing - 
The Solidarity Federation Education Union (SFEU) supports the strike action by Leeds University workers in UNISON, as well as the ongoing ballot for industrial action by academic staff in the UCU. We have members in both unions – and you can support them by not crossing the picket line. This means staying out of university buildings while the strike is going on.*
Hull SolFed held another anti-workfare ‘demo’ on Saturday the 20th, this time a mobile one. Based on suggestions on the Boycott Workfare website, we held a walk a shame through hull town center, stopping at nine different workfare providers, forming a picket outside each store, handing out leaflets and talking to shoppers. We also had some musical accompaniment, which helped to draw attention to the picket and kept the day more interesting.
Members of Solidarity Federation West Yorkshire and Calderdale Locals and Leeds Anarchist Federation joined over 1,000 marchers at the Leeds Anti-Bedroom Tax demonstration called by Hands Off Our Homes - Leeds on 20 April 2013.