Michael Sheen refuses to cross picket line in solidarity with striking staff
Michael Sheen refused to cross a picket line at the University of South Wales in Cardiff yesterday after meeting striking workers outside.
The acting star was in the welsh capital to visit the city centre campus when he stopped to talk to the picket line.
Sheen spoke to the striking staff from the UCU (University and College Union) – and subsequently refused to cross their picket line in a show of solidarity with the union.
The UCU, is the union representing academic and professional staff in higher education, and is taking industrial action at universities across the UK.
Branch chairman Terry Driscoll told the Morning Star Online: “It’s not every day you encounter a celebrity on the picket line but this was a tremendous act of solidarity by a highly respected member of the Welsh community.
“Refusing to cross our picket gave a major boost to the morale of striking workers not just at the university, but to our members in Wales and the UK.”
Striking worker Peter Jachimiak added: “I’m currently on strike as a UCU member, and this happened at the university campus that I’m based at. Nice one, Michael, as we always knew you were a good ‘un, and one of us.”
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Don’t celebrities get enough attention without meddling in politics? It must be a football thing!
Much as I like Sheen his pursuit of publicity through these kind of gestures is not his best look. The man has done some really good stuff in his community over recent years so credit where it’s due but not crossing that line having voiced support suggests that there was no importance attached to his original reason for visiting. Didn’t he strike a pose for the camera to save using that same old archive photo again ?
This is the old telephone exchange on Adam Street which is the creative and cultural centre for USW. I presume he had a long-standing invite to speak or lecture there and it just happened to coincide with the strike.
Why you should think it was a publicity stunt when there is no “posed photo” suggests you need to stop thinking other people’s thoughts on their behalf.
I presume…discuss
The campus is for the creative arts, events and entertainment. People from the industry are always visiting for talks, seminars and debates with the students. Been there, done that myself etc.
MS is a serious man and were he to wish publicity his agents would arrange a full page spread in a broadsheet, he has that sort of clout. He certainly wouldn’t be reliant on strikers publicising his refusal to cross a picket line.
At a wild guess he was possibly going to explain about being a “not-for-profit actor” which fascinates me let alone students wishing to enter the sector.
I don’t believe for a second that he would want or need to self-promote and his not for profit ethic is very commendable but is not unique. He is certainly popular, not least on N.C, but his talent also is not unique. Once upon a time before this baker’s dozen of barren years of this mean spirited, philistine, mercenary and predatory government I remember a number of drama companies working out of Cardiff that toured Cymru playing local theatres, some like Ardudwy sadly no more others like the Dragon in Abermaw still extant. needless to say the likes of Osborne… Read more »
Some people have scruples would you cross a picket line and be a scab ?
You prat