April 14 saw over 200 Glasgow
University staff and students protest against cuts which are emerging as part
of the ‘restructuring’ process despite management’s earlier promises. The
demonstration was called by the lecturers’ union UCU but also saw strong
support from Unite and Unison who organise maintenance and admin staff.
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 14th
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.
