The demonstration came on the same day that reports in the Scottish press revealed the intention to cut the Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division. Despite being renowned as a world class reputation- and regularly appearing on tv shows including Time Team - the unit is to go. Beyond this it is also entirely self financing and made £200 000 in the last financial year. Clearly this is part of a restructuring process which aims not only to turn the university into a profit driven organisation but it appears to have a wider ideological motivation. Arts driven faculties associated with education for its own sake are clearly at risk in a project to ensure education is more ‘business orientated’.

The UCU has calculated that 83 jobs are at risk over 4 departments at the university as well as the 30 staff who work at GUARD. This comes alongside a process of “natural wastage” whereby staff are not being replaced as they retire across many departments, leading to job cuts in real terms. Unfortunately this episode marks yet another chapter in an escalating process of cut backs at the university. Last year the University Health Service was downgraded and the main medical facility for student accommodation was closed. This year the post-graduate student union was allowed to go bust, with management refusing the comparative small change that would have been required for a bail out. It’s quite likely that the serious cuts announcements have been saved for the onset of the summer holidays and could see battles in the new semester.

Late last year a students’ Anti-Cuts Action  Network was established at the university with the announcement of the restructuring process. Management has done its utmost to keep its plans in the dark, only admitting the existence of restricting in February following ACAN activity on campus. The Student Representative Council’s leadership has also played a scandalous role. Despite promising to offer support in struggles against academic cuts they failed to support the demonstration and their position remains ambiguous. This compares to the situation at Aberdeen, Strathclyde and Dundee which unlike Glasgow are NUS affiliated and where the student union leadership’s have actively put themselves at the head of the campaign.

Unfortunately it is only now that the unions on campus have come out against the restricting process having previously waveringly welcomed it. However a speaker from UCU at the demonstration correctly stated that we will not gain anything that is cut and vowed to fight back. A speaker from ACAN was also warmly welcomed. He argued that it was through students and workers fighting together on campus we have the best chance to fight the cuts. He was roundly applauded for exposing the hypocrisy of the principle, Anton Muscatelli, who received an 8% pay rise this year giving himself a salary just shy of a quarter of  a million pounds whilst he offered staff a pay cut in real terms. If cuts are to start anywhere it should be with senior management’s pay!

Clearly time is short and April 14^th only represented the beginning of a much bigger struggle against cuts. The restructuring process will be officially complete by August in time for the new semester whilst it’s likely that more serious cuts will be announced over the summer. The militant action of staff and students at Sussex University who recently took part in occupations and UCU strike action demonstrate the only road forward.