IWW Glasgow University Job Branch & Save Crichton Campus Request Support This Week

ireland / britain | workplace struggles | appeal / petition Monday March 05, 2007 09:29 by Central Scotland Organiser - Industrial Workers of the World iwwscotland at googlemail dot com 07910627970

Solidarity Request to Help with Crichton Campus Struggle

Hi,
I'm writing to your organisation as part of a campaign to save the jobs of some workers we represent in Dumfries in the South of Scotland. Their employer, Glasgow University, is pulling out of the campus in the region, which will cause no end of problems. As the IWW, we have some presence amongst workers in the University, and are currently involved in the campaign. Presently we're contacting groups, individuals on the left internationally to request that they circulate the communique below among their members as we are aiming for a really large telephone lobby as we
try and build this campaign.

Solidarity,
Central Scotland Organiser, IWW

Fellow workers, Glasgow University IWW Job Branch and the Save Crichton Campus campaign in Glasgow are calling another phone lobby on the success of last week's event, which saw the University implement a telephone protocol for complaints about Crichton and lay on extra staff to deal with the volume of calls.

See: http://iwwscotland.wordpress.com/crichton-struggle/

The campaign is starting to score victories against the decision. The Scottish Executive, previously immovable in claiming Crichton's closure had nothing to do with them (an article in a Dumfries paper alleges they knew about the decision 8 months ago and gave the University the OK) is now pressurising Sir Muir Russell, principal of the university to meet with them to discuss the issue. The campaign is building momentum on campus with flyposting and creative publicity stunts and resistance is planned, however time is very short as the University has accelerated its attempts to shut the facility down in light of the media exposure. Pressure however is starting to tell.

We believe that with a further phone, fax and email lobby we can increase the pressure on the University Administration and the principal in particular. Last time round we caused a major nuisance - this time we want to cause further discomfort and we are advertizing this lobby on every medium available to us. This is going to be big, especially with your participation! The IWW and the campaign believe that we can win this fight with your help.

On Thursday and Friday we are asking people to ring (and ring and ring again if you can!) the university swtichboard, and the principal's office. Send a fax, write an email, but above all phone the principal's office and ask to speak to Sir Muir Russell.

If you're looking for things to say mention that you want to register a complaint about the closure of the Crichton Campus, with the loss of the jobs of staff, the damage done to the Dumfries area at large, the vital role that the campus plays in the education and culture of the area, and that fact that all this damage is being justified on the basis of figures for sums of money which prominent Labour Party MSPs have dismissed as fantasy; this university administration, you might want to remind them, is a university administration which saw fit to award Sir Muir Russell, the Principal, a 15% pay rise a few weeks ago, while attempting to cut Janitors pay by 5 grand a year, and laying off staff at Crichton, on the back of last years job losses. It has pointedly ignored a 2800 signature petition from the people of Dumfries. There is widespread popular anger in the region, and staff and students have been involved in winning the support of the entire community, collecting signatures and donations and talking to people late into the night at local supermarkets. The local council is against the decision. The local paper is publicly backing the campaign. There could not be more support in the area for the campaign against the decision. Ask them how they feel about behaving with such arrogance in the face of such widespread popular opinion. Of course you could also just say what you want to keep the phones tied up. ;o)

This is going to be big - help stick the boot in. Workers jobs and an entire community are resting on us winning this campaign.

Phone, fax or email the following on Thursday 8th March and Friday 9th March during GMT office hours 9AM - 5PM. Let us know how it's going!

Sir Muir Russell
Principal of Glasgow University
Email: principal@gla.ac.uk
Tel: 0141 330 5995
Fax: 0141 330 4947

Mr Alexander J Scrimgeour
Executive Assistant to the Principal
A.Scrimgeour@admin.gla.ac.uk

Prof K C Calman
Principal's Office University Chancellor
telephone: 0141 330 5995
email: Chancellor@gla.ac.uk

Also those with more time to contribute can contact the University via the switchboard and try and tie lines up there too:-

0141-330 2000

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References:-

http://www.iww.org/en/node/3265