On April 6th, IWW members working and studying in post-16 education will be holding an emergency summit for all members in this sector to discuss how we, as a radical, grassroots union, can respond to the deepening crises of budget cuts, work intensification, marketisation, mental health and threats to jobs.

The emergency summit will take place in Birmingham, at Stirchley Baths, from 1pm to 5pm on the 6th of April, with lunch and light refreshments available from 12:30pm. The location is around 5 minutes walk from Bournville railway station (directions below).

As workers and students in post-16 education (higher education, further education, adult and community education, prison education), we need to start to work out some coherent strategies for how we can organise in these workplaces, strategies that take into account some of the unique factors that impact or how we work and study in these institutions.

The summit, open to all IWW members working and studying in post-16 education, will be a chance to develop our thinking and practice around issues such as dual carding, what it means to organise in large, fragmented workplaces, how we can bring together workers and students and more. While we may not come away from the summit with clear solutions, we can make a long-overdue start on this conversation and identify the priorities going forward and discuss some of the experiences we had had that we can learn from.

FWs who require support with travel costs should approach their branch in the first instance or get in touch with the event organisers if the branch cannot help. Accommodation places for FWs who live more than 200 miles away will also be provided on request – please let us know ASAP

We would ask FWs to register for the event ASAP using this online form to confirm attendance and inform us of any dietary or accessibility requirements (please see venue details

If you need any further information please email organising [at] iww [dot] org [dot] uk. Please see the Facebook event for regular updates.

Directions from Bournville Rail Station to Stirchley Swimming Baths

Exit the railway station up on to the bridge. You are on Mary Vale Road. Go left down the hill (100 yds) and take the second turning on your left Victoria Road. Follow Victoria Road to the end (200 yds) where it meets Bournville Lane. Turn right and follow Bournville Lane down to the bottom (250 yds) where it joins the Strirchley High Street. The Stirchley Baths are on the corner of Bournville Lane and Stirchley High Street on your left. Walking time 5 minutes. If anyone is arriving by other means and needs directions please see venue website.