Liverpool guild presidential candidates have been asked not to cross picket lines

A message was sent out this week to all candidates for the guild presidental elections asking them not to cross picket lines in the final week of polling.

The email was composed by a range of societies and student organisations that have been supporting the strikes by the UCU for the past two weeks. They have asked candidates to abstain from entering any university building, except the guild, in order to show their solidarity with striking lecturers.

The email urges candidates not to enter lectures that are still being held by non-striking staff. This will affect campaigning this week with the strikes running from Monday until Thursday, giving candidates only Friday to appeal for votes in student lectures if they don't cross picket lines.

Several candidates have already posted on social media showing solidarity for the strikes and have stated that they will not cross picket lines. However this message may come as a conflict of interest for some with campaining being an integral part of the guild president elections.

"This week my campaign team and I will not be crossing picket lines, taking a firm stance to support the UCU strike action, supporting my striking lecturers and staff." – Lucy Pilling, guild presidential candidate (@lucyforguildpres).

"We trust that most students won't be giving their support to Guild candidates who are crossing picket lines this week, therefore undermining our striking uni workers. We hope that those candidates who have unconditionally given their support to the UCU will be our new Guild Officers, in order to continue building upon the growing opposition on our campus to uni management's marketisation agenda." – Liverpool Students for Pensions