A wide range of trade unionists and other supporters rallied for UCU strikers in Newcastle, whose strike is of national importance in the struggle to save higher education

On the 37th day of strike action by lecturers, researchers and professional-services staff at Newcastle University, the University and College Union (UCU) held a national demonstration in the city to support their striking colleagues, with branches from Edinburgh, Dundee, Leeds and University College London attending in a great show of solidarity.

The strike at Newcastle University was called after the union balloted following the announcement of around 300 job cuts to address a £30m financial shortfall due to student numbers, and management refused to guarantee no compulsory redundancies. With now under £5 million in ‘savings’ still to find following voluntary severance schemes, a fraction of the university’s cash reserves, the strike has become more political as management refuse to back down.

The union says the university management is more interested in building new halls of residence costing £274m rather than negotiating to find a way to save members’ jobs. After taking thirty days of strike action, members have re-balloted and have begun a further 35 days of strikes.

David, a Newcastle University UCU member told Counterfire, ‘It is amazing to see so many trade unionists from across the country in Newcastle for today’s march and rally. It means the world to know that we are not in this struggle alone. Together in UCU we are fighting really for the future of higher education as a public good. The stakes are high but with the labour movement behind us, we can win.’

Sarah, another branch member, told us, ‘The Higher Education sector in Britain is facing a major crisis and how this crisis plays out now will have enormous repercussions for the future of universities, and access to universities, in this country. It is clear that the funding model is broken and not fit for purpose, and that while some institutions find themselves in a financial crisis, other institutions will take advantage of the crisis to implement cost-cutting policies that are ideological. This is what is happening at Newcastle University.’

The importance of the day was made clear by another branch member who told us, ‘Wednesday’s rally showed the strength of feeling amongst our staff. We are not prepared to give up and let the university persist with its plans for redundancies. We hope that Newcastle’s show of solidarity is a rallying point for other branches. Our fight is part of a much wider struggle for the HE sector.’

Addressing the mass rally at Grey’s monument in the city centre, Matt Perry, Newcastle University UCU branch chair said, ‘Today we have a national demonstration because there is a jobs massacre happening in higher education. The funding model is broken and the government actually needs to step in and do something about it. The people running higher education are doing so in a completely unaccountable way, they are closing down departments, they’re sacking professional-service staff, sacking academics. It’s an absolute disaster for the sector, the government needs its universities.’

Many students have lost half a semester of teaching yet they continue to turn out to support pickets on strike days and also joined the rally. ‘We found out about the strike when lecturerscame and stood in solidarity with our encampment for Gaza, so we are returning that solidarity,’ said Hafsa, a student, ‘We must invest in welfare not warfare, in staff not shiny new buildings and we should cut executive board pay first!’ Speakers also included Vonni Hardman, chair of Northern Region NEU.

Closing the rally, Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, declared, ‘I know you won’t give up but you can’t. Your dispute is important and you can win.’ The strikers can win, but it will need more national mobilisation. As Sarah told us, ‘Newcastle University UCU have always maintained that this is a national dispute that needs a collective national response from all branches, as well as a national response from the government. The government, and UCEA will always dismiss action by individual branches, but they can’t ignore a mass mobilisation and hard-hitting industrial action across the sector. Newcastle has demonstrated in many ways how that can be done.’

‘The National Day of Action on 11 June demonstrated that the only way to protect higher education and ensure education for all well into the future is a collective response and a national dispute. Hundreds of people demonstrated in Newcastle for a better way. Together we can win.’

As Newcastle University UCU branch committee member Steph Campbell said, chairing the rally, ‘We need a nationally coordinated campaign. This is a tipping point for Higher Education. If you fight back, members will respond!’