Marco Tesei, newly elected UCU NEC member, personal capacity
With one in two universities cutting jobs and courses, and Further Education (FE) colleges facing unsustainable levels of underfunding, the University and College Union (UCU) has launched a national ‘Stop the Cuts’ campaign.
A national rally against cuts in post-16 education is taking place on Saturday 10 May in London. Workers from universities, colleges and prisons will march up to the doors of parliament to demand proper funding. The mood in higher and further education is growing: Starmer, you promised ‘change’; instead, you’re delivering austerity even worse than the Tories!
In truth, the decision to call a national demonstration was taken at UCU’s congress in May 2024. But the union’s head office and general secretary, Jo Grady, dragged their feet, hoping to avoid a confrontation with Keir Starmer’s Labour government. But now Starmer’s full-frontal austerity assault means the leadership is under pressure from members, including the demand for a demonstration.
Step up
A serious campaign by the leadership to build it would have made 10 May the huge event it had the potential to be. But it still represents a call to action from workers across the education sectors. With strikes currently taking place in several universities and escalating in number, and indicative ballots in many local FE branches showing an appetite for strike action in the autumn, 10 May must be a step towards building a concerted fightback, including national action.
Our sister education unions, including the National Education Union, will be represented on 10 May. A key part of building the fight must be to coordinate mass demonstrations and strike action with other education unions.
Students will be represented too. Socialist Students members have campaigned to build for this demonstration, and have raised with the National Union of Students the need to mobilise together with education workers. Socialist Students has also approached UCU for discussion – including requesting to speak on 10 May – about how the ‘Funding not Fees’ campaign could link up with UCU’s ‘Stop the Cuts’.
Coordinated action
Students – as well as education workers in schools, colleges and universities nationally – are increasingly aware that if we really want to save public education from total destruction, it will take a massive coordinated effort in the coming year on the part of the whole sector.
The mounting mood of rebellion against austerity now needs to be built on by further active campaigning in local workplaces and a clear national lead. A major confrontation with Starmer and chancellor Reeves is clearly on its way. That requires fighting for a political voice that champions our demands too.
Socialist Party members in UCU want to work with all those who are serious about building a fighting union, which would be most effective if organised in a new, genuinely democratic united left that could bring together people who want a fighting UCU at all levels in the union.
See also:
- Teports of the fight against cuts in universities and FE colleges in Cardiff, Birmingham and Devon
- Demands of university and FE students and the Funding not Fees campaign
- The voice of non-academic staff in Unison
