University strikes spread

The QMUL UCU HE is Shrinking website’s latest update, 6 June, shows another almost 1,000 jobs are on the line at six universities. But at Sheffield Hallam, Goldsmiths, Nottingham, and London South Bank, UCU members are moving to, or taking, sustained action against the cuts and job losses, not just odd days.

The cuts planned at South Bank are shaping up along a national trend. Two years ago a restructuring program saw scores of staff loose their jobs. Now bosses are back with course and program restructures and more. As at Sheffield Hallam, and others, staff are effectively being faced with fire and rehire to get the university out of its current pension obligations. A two-tier workforce will have some staff still directly employed by the university; others, and all new staff, working for a third party.

Still asleep at the wheel, the UCU national leadership came under pressure at the union’s congress on 27-29 May. Motions called for the General Secretary and the union to put weight and organisational capacity into a national coordinated campaign against cuts. In the last year alone, some 15,000 jobs have been lost across the sector.

UCU branches know they must fight, and where action is being ramped up they are reporting increases in membership. They also know they need a coordinated national dispute.

Workers need to keep the pressure up, building the strikes and consolidating action. And student anti-cuts groups have been or are being formed at many of these universities. Students can and should take direct action, like the Goldsmiths students did with their library occupation. They could look to picket and encourage students to walk out of lectures and seminars being taught by strikebreakers. §