Aryaman Mohan, Birmingham Socialist Party
On 9 June, Socialist Party members joined University and College Union members and supporters at Birmingham City University (BCU) to oppose the recent redundancy consultations affecting staff in architecture and the built environment, Black studies, and biomedical engineering.
Staff, students and supporters spoke about the importance of defending courses, jobs and educational opportunities from cuts. BCU’s senior management has stated that these proposals are driven by financial pressures and a lack of demand.
Among the concerns raised was that no equality impact assessment was carried out before decisions affecting Black studies were proposed, despite the potential impact on both staff and students. Speakers also highlighted the lack of response to the collective grievance relating to discrimination concerns.
The message from the protest was clear: BCU is more than its senior management and that the university belongs to its staff, students and the wider community it serves. No redundancy is necessary. The wealth exists to fund high-quality, free education for all!
