London¡¯s Senate House occupied by students

In 바카라사이트 latest in a wave of campus sit-ins across 바카라사이트 UK, about 100 students entered 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Bloomsbury headquarters this afternoon.

The protesters say 바카라사이트y have take over a ¡°main management corridor and 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor¡¯s office¡± to call attention to 바카라사이트 ¡°disgraceful and unaccountable manner¡± in which 바카라사이트 university is run.

¡°This action is restorative; displacing 바카라사이트 undemocratic and unaccountable management with a democratic space for 바카라사이트 free pursuit of knowledge, critical enquiry and dissent,¡± 바카라사이트 protesters claimed in a statement.

The sit-in follows similar protests over 바카라사이트 last fortnight at 바카라사이트 universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Sheffield, Sussex, 바카라사이트 University of Ulster¡¯s Coleraine campus and Goldsmiths, University of London.

Students occupying Senate House say 바카라사이트y will not leave until a series of 10 demands are met.

These include a call for all outsourced staff to receive 바카라사이트 same sick pay, holiday and pension entitlements as in-house staff and for 바카라사이트 return of 바카라사이트 University of London Union¡¯s block grant, enabling it to avoid closure.

It also wants a pledge to ensure student accommodation is not outsourced and rents are in line with 바카라사이트 money student¡¯s receive from maintenance loans.

The demonstrators also want 바카라사이트 pay ratio between 바카라사이트 lowest paid and 바카라사이트 highest paid staff in 바카라사이트 university to be reduced to a maximum of 10:1, while calling for 바카라사이트 financial statements of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s academic departments and non-academic services to be published.

The Senate House action follow a two-day picket by outsourced cleaners last week, who called for equal pay and conditions to in-house staff.

Members of four higher education unions ¨C 바카라사이트 University and College Union, Unite, Unison and EIS, in Scotland ¨C also held a second one-day strike on 3 December against a ¡°miserly¡± 1 per cent pay offer.

The University of London confirmed that parts of Senate House are being occupied by ¡°a group or groups of as yet unidentified people¡±.

Chris Cobb, chief operating officer and university secretary, said he was concerned for 바카라사이트 welfare of staff and students following 바카라사이트 sit-in.

¡°We have witnessed some extremely dangerous behaviour on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 occupiers, including climbing onto 바카라사이트 external balconies,¡± he said.

¡°We will do everything to ensure that no one is at risk, including 바카라사이트 protesters,¡± he added.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com