Further to last week’s reports by Socialist Appeal student supporters, we publish here more reports from across the country about the activities of the Marxist students in relation to the strike of lecturers and university workers.
Further to last week’s reports by Socialist Appeal student supporters, we publish here more reports from across the country about the activities of the Marxist students in relation to the strike of lecturers and university workers.
Newcastle
Around 250 students, lecturers, university staff and members of the public attended a rally at Grey’s Monument last Thursday in support of the strike action called by Unite, Unison and UCU on university campuses nationwide. Members of the Newcastle Marxist society joined staff on the picket lines which were spread across campus.
Speakers from the three unions made it clear that the strike wasn’t one merely about pay, but about the wider state of government policy towards education, the growing disparity between university workers and management as well as the increasing number of zero hour contracts and staff working well beyond their contracted hours.
The speakers made it clear they love their job, but this fact has been taken advantage of by management who have increased their workload and tightened their budgets. The 13% pay cut since 2008 is even more of a kick in the teeth when the vice chancellors at both Newcastle and Northumbria universities have received pay rises of over £20,000. Vice chancellors are indulging in the luxury of buying a Picasso for their office whilst simultaneously telling staff they can’t afford to keep their pay at the rate of inflation.
With students having to pay £9,000 a year for our education we expect it to be spent in the right places and at the moment it is not. The increased pressure on staff and resources is lowering the standard of our education system and this is a trend being seen throughout austerity hit Britain. Across the board we are seeing disputes and strike action – the crisis of capitalism and the austerity measures imposed by this government are hurting us all.
We need not only solidarity between students and lecturers, but between all the struggles to show that these aren’t isolated disputes; they are symptomatic of the capitalist system overall and united it can be overcome.
Edinburgh
During the staff strike on Thursday, members of the Edinburgh University Marxist Society mobilised in full support of the strike. After joining the picket lines in the early morning we set up a stall where we leafleted passing students in order to try and convince them to support their staff and avoid classes. We managed to convince a number of students and raise awareness of the strike; two students even joined our stall and helped distribute leaflets. We received messages of appreciation as staff members approached us, pleased to see students supporting their struggle.
Initially there were worries about the success of the strike as little awareness had been built up. Despite being an historical first, where all three major university unions (UCU, UNITE and UNISON) combined, no substantial attempt was made to explain the strike to students and mobilise their support. However, on the day, the campus appeared much quieter as a result of the strike, with many students clearly staying away in support of the staff. At midday we all gathered in Bristo Square for a short but lively rally where it was made clear that the struggle is only just beginning for staff and students.
Although mainly on the issue of pay, there was a generally strong feeling of anger at the way our education system is being treated. The issue of pay is just one of many other grievances affecting staff and students alike. Worse still the general destruction of education by a thousand cuts is taking its toll and the principle of good quality and freely accessible education drifts further away with each new measure.
Marxists believe that education is fundamental to human progress and wellbeing and if the current capitalist system cannot guarantee the expansion and improvement of education, then capitalism is no longer fit for purpose in civilised society. We hope you will join us for a wider discussion at 6pm, Wednesday 6th November, Room 8.16, David Hume Tower, on the role and fate of education under capitalism, and importantly what can be done to reverse this worrying trend.
Aberystwyth
There were two pickets, one at Penglais campus, and the other at Llandabarn campus. At Penglais there were around 40 lecturers, staff and students who had gathered in support of the strike action called by Unite, Unison and UCU. This was a relatively good turn out for Aberystwyth, and we had good discussions with a number of people.
At the rally afterwards, there was a great deal of anger, especially at the management of the university with regards their obscene pay, and the visible effects the cuts were having upon teaching. There were various speakers, but all of these put the attack on education down solely to the ideology of the coalition. As Socialist Appeal and the Marxist societies have pointed out, however, the attack on education is part of a wider attack on the working class in Britain and internationally, due to the global crisis of capitalism.
