Nothern Ireland strikes end week of stunning campaign success

27 February 2004

Northern Ireland's two universities were 'virtually deserted' and hundreds of lectures were cancelled, today, as the AUT's hugely successful week of strike action came to a close.

At a rally outside the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL), Belfast, this afternoon, a rally of up to 200 people was addressed by AUT president Terry McKnight and social sciences professor Monica McWilliams.

Prof McWilliams, who, until recently, was a member of the Northern Ireland assembly, told the rally - which followed marches to DEL from the University of Ulster and Queen's University - that on returning to academia, in 2003, she was shocked to see just how much pay and conditions had deteriorated since she left to become a politician in 1996.

Northern Ireland regional official Brian Everett said: 'Today we have seen magnificent backing for the strikes from our members.

'The campuses across Northern Ireland have been virtually deserted - and with the students - we have been able to show that improved pay and conditions are desperately needed at the province's two institutions.'

The final day of strike action caps a week of huge successes for the joint action, including:

• Various institutions being all-but shut down, including: University of Abertay Dundee; University of Bradford; Cardiff; University of Dundee; University of Edinburgh; Institute of Education; King's College London; Lampeter; University of Leeds; University of Liverpool; University of Glasgow; University of Manchester; University of Newcastle; University of Nottingham; University of Portsmouth; University of Salford; University of Strathclyde; University of Sussex; Swansea; University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology; and University College London.
• Thousands of lectures being cancelled across the UK
• A quadrupling of AUT members reporting for picket line duty over the last national strike in 1999 Hundreds of students joining AUT pickets
• Rallies at towns and cities across the UK, including Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, and Stirling, with a combined attendance of more than 4,000
• And a march of 1,000 AUT members and students through Leeds city centre on Wednesday.

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