This motion was passed at GUCU Branch Meeting, Monday July 31 2023
This branch notes:
UCU Congress Motion 6: Solidarity with Ukraine: supporting education and humanitarian work was passed overwhelmingly and:
- condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine;
- recognises Ukraine’s right to self-determination;
- supports the cancellation of Ukraine’s national debt ;
- condemns all manifestations of Imperialism;
- recognises and supports the work of Russian anti-war activists;
- calls for the building of links to support international labour movement activists, educators and students.
This branch believes:
- we should support the calls of Motion 6 for practical and meaningful solidarity work;
- solidarity requires centring the people of Ukraine and their right to self-determination;
- like all victims of Imperialist aggression, the Ukrainian people have the right to self-defence and to humanitarian, political and military aid in resisting the invasion and occupation of Ukraine by Russian forces;
- as trade unionists we should build practical links to support labour movement activists in Ukraine;
- as an education union, we should support Ukrainian educators and students;
- the work being done by the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign (USC), which seeks to build links and solidarity ‘in support of Ukrainian Socialist and Trade Unionists, campaigning for working class, and democratic rights, against imperialist intervention and national chauvinism’ is the type of practical and meaningful solidarity work called for by motion 6.
- Motion 5, Stop the war – peace now, which was also passed by UCU congress, and which calls for the disarming of Ukrainians, denies the right of victims of imperialist aggression to self-defense and self-determination.
This branch resolves:
- to encourage initiatives by universities and colleges to support educational and employment opportunities for Ukrainian refugees and work with civil society organisations promoting the welfare of refugees;
- to actively promote and encourage members to participate in meetings organised with Ukrainian speakers, including Ukrainian trade unionists and feminists;
- to affiliate to the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign;
- to promote and work with the newly-established UCU solidarity network www.ucumembersforukraine.co.uk
- to invite a speaker from USC to address a branch meeting; to invite a Ukrainian trade unionist to speak to a branch meeting
- to donate £200 to the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign’s current fundraising appeal: https://bit.ly/ukrainemedicalappeal
- to support any motion submitted to UCU Congress 2024 to repeal motion 5 Stop the War in Ukraine – peace now.