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From The Socialist newspaper, 31 January 2018
Fat cat vice chancellors schooled by Brum students
Birmingham uni 'Question Time' (Click to enlarge)
Sam Witts, Birmingham Socialist Students
Students at the University of Birmingham lambasted their fat cat vice chancellor (VC) David Eastwood during his 'Question Time' event on 25 January. The room was filled with students rightfully angered by Eastwood's role at the university.
Since Dame Breakwell was shamed into resignation at the University of Bath, Eastwood is now the highest paid VC in the country with an eye-watering salary of £436,000 - almost double the average pay for VC's nationally, that comes with a university-funded mansion and chauffeur-driven Jaguar.
During his time, Eastwood has made it his personal mission to attack workers' wages, pensions and conditions. Its regime has placed over 70% of teaching staff on casualised zero-hour contracts, and has cut the pay of many support staff by up to £1,800 because he refuses to keep their wages at least in line with inflation, let alone offer the living wage universally.
Not only this, Eastwood also receives £90,000 a year for chairing the universities pension scheme and has attacked the pensions of university staff nationally, which forced UCU lecturer's union to ballot successfully for strike action.
It is no wonder then that students are rightfully disgraced by their VC and bombarded him with criticism. Eastwood was left squirming in a tirade of criticism on an assortment of issues. This included a call from Socialist Students for his resignation after we exposed conflicts with his business interests.
Socialist Students and the campus trade unions have conducted several demonstrations on these matters and distributed material before the event detailing some of the VC's worst offences.
Despite attempts from university security to prevent our completely legitimate and legal activity, almost every student in the room had a copy which ensured there was no let-off for Eastwood.
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In The Socialist 31 January 2018:
Save our NHS
NHS: use the 3 February protests as a launch pad for a mass movement
Northern health campaigns conference discusses the fightback
8,000 strong petition opposes closure of Sheffield health services
Labour NHS rally reveals horrors but offers no way forward
Opinion
Trump as Nixon: urgent questions about press freedom and the state
Women's liberation
For workplace trade union organisation against sexual harassment
Presidents Club sexism scandal: what you thought
100 years since women won the vote
Socialist Party workplace news
Victory for Hackney school cleaners!
Local government workers' reps reject 2% pay offer
University workers' walkout for decent pensions
Supermarket's slash jobs - union fightback needed
Cammell Lairds strikers demand improved pay and conditions
Socialist Party news and analysis
Labour civil war re-erupts over Haringey regeneration project
Tory infighting escalates - workers' action can oust them
Failing academy chain strips school assets - end academisation!
Capitalists fear for their system at Davos
Majority of kids poor in some areas
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Fat cat vice chancellors schooled by Brum students
Confident London Socialist Party conference discusses key issues
Your newspaper fights with you: help fund it with May Day greetings
Bristol anti-cuts campaigners debate alternatives to the cuts
International socialist news and analysis
Vienna: 50,000 march against racism and austerity
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