Statement in solidarity with students, teachers and staff in Egyptian universities and schools

As the new term starts, we send our greetings in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Egypt who are fighting for an education system which meets the needs of society, instead of satisfying the demands of the market and the interests of those in power.

We are inspired by the strikes of Egyptian teachers, who are fighting against low pay, lack of investment in education, and to get rid of corrupt officials from the old ruling party, including the minister of education. Egyptian teachers are right to insist that if teachers and other education workers do not enjoy decent pay and conditions, then education itself is under threat.

We congratulate staff, students and lecturers at the American University in Cairo on their recent united strike against rises in fees and low pay for university workers. This is the kind of unity we want to build in our struggles in the UK against fees, coruse and job cuts and attacks on our pensions.

We send our greetings to staff and students at universities across Egypt as they prepared for renewed strikes and protests calling for the removal of corrupt officials, the demoncratisation of senior university appointments and in defence of the right to strike and protest.

We affirm our continued solidarity with the Egyptian revolution’s goals of achieving democracy and social justice, and call on the Egyptian authorities to cease harassment of protestors, end laws criminalising strikes and demonstrations, and stop the use of military trials for civilians.

To add your name please post a comment below this article or email menasolidarity@gmail.com

Adopted by UCU Left (a national organisation of left-wing activists within the University and College Union, UK) at its AGM on 24 September. 

And the following individual signatories:

Umit Yildiz, Bradford College; James Dean, Leeds City College; Peter Woodward, Imperial College London; Ron Mendel, Northhampton University; James Cussens, University of York; Pura Ariza, Manchester Metropolitan University; Amy Gilligan, Cambridge University; Fergus Nicol, London Metropolitan University; Gavin Reid, Leeds University; Joel Dunn, Kings College London; Jim Wolfreys, Kings College London; Jane Hardy, University of Hertfordshire; Suzanne Jeffrey, Croydon College; Richard McEwan, UCU NEC; Jeannie Robinson, Nottingham Trent University; Malcolm Povey, University of Leeds; Andrea Gibbons, LSE; Darren Bradshaw, Blackpool and Fylde; Naina Kent, Hackney Adult Education; Alliya Stennett, City College Birmingham; Brian O’Sullivan, Bournville College, David Armstrong, Barnet College, Alan Barker, New College, Nottingham, Maeve Landman, UWE: Ben Boydell, Strode College; Lesley McGorrigan, Leeds University, Rachel Cohen, University of Surrey; Joel Anderson, University of London; Dave Gibson, Barnsley College; Kate Burland, University of Sheffield; Graham Mostin, Barnsley College; Alan Whitaker, UCU; Dan Swain, University of Essex; Phil Flanders, City of Westminster College, Maggie Leo, City of Westminster College, Liza Ramzy, Cardiff University, E. Michaelopaulo, Liverpoold University, Tom Hickey, University of Brighton, John Walker, Ruskin College, Mark Campbell, London Metropolitan University; Veronica Killen, Northumbria University; Isabel Brotherton, The Manchester College, David Swanson, Manchester University; Jake Douglas, CONEL; Alison Lord, Tower Hamlets College, Ian Crosson, Tower Hamlets College; Jean Crocker, Durham Univeristy; Des Freedman, Goldsmiths, Kirsten Forkert, University of East Anglia; Anne Alexander, University of Cambridge; Sean Wallis, UCL; Tony Brown, UCL; Carlo Morelli, Dundee; Loraine Mark, Brighton University, Mandy Brown, UCU Lambeth, Margot Hill, UCU Croydon; Craig Lewis, Coleg Harlech; Richard Payne, London Met University; Christina Pain, London Met University; Sue Blackwell, University of Birmingham; Marion Hersh, Glasgow