Nottingham UCU has taken the first steps towards strike action at the University of Nottingham (UoN).
UoN recorded a loss of £17 million in 2024, despite having increased their income in the last ten years by nearly £280 million. So where has this money gone, then?
According to the UCU, the university has spent £91.5 million on a new campus in the city centre. Much of this campus is now due to be leased out to private businesses.
This is despite the state of disrepair which can be seen across many UoN buildings. And that’s without mentioning the understaffing, which continues to erode the quality of education students can expect.
Despite this, school and department leadership are being asked to reduce their activities by a further 20 percent. Such a reduction will likely result in mandatory redundancies.
This is why the UCU in Nottingham have declared their intent to strike, raising the slogan “No compulsory redundancies at UoN!”
These attacks on the conditions of workers in Nottingham are the direct result of the involvement of the market.
Without removing the incentive for management to “mismanage” the finances of the University, redundancies and attacks on the conditions of workers in higher education will always return.
Only through building a coordinated, nationwide struggle of staff and students – ultimately aimed at kicking capitalism off campuses and putting universities under democratic workers’ control – will it be possible to ensure that no mandatory redundancies are imposed.
Newcastle University strike update: The Communists make waves
RCP comrades got stuck into supporting the recent University and Colleges Union (UCU) strike at Newcastle University (which we reported on in issue 23 of The Communist).
We wanted to discuss with staff and students, get a sense of the mood and their understanding, and put forward a Marxist programme.
We went along to the pickets armed with an understanding of the crisis in higher education, and the need for a socialist programme to solve this crisis.
We found a militant mood on the pickets, and many staff and students who were keen to discuss ideas – not only about the crisis, but also climate change, revolution, and even Marxist archaeology!
We invited friendly students to attend our branch meetings and reading groups, where we had in-depth discussions about the crisis in higher education, the genocide in Gaza, and so on.
Unfortunately, some student activists were not so friendly. We were accused by members of the Stalinist ‘Young Communist League’ of only being there to sell The Communist and recruit to the RCP.
Our firm belief in the need for a revolutionary party was painted as cynical and underhand, and these activists tried to ban us from the student solidarity group!
We openly explained that we wanted the strike to succeed as far as possible, and to offer support however we could.
But we also explained that the current trade union leaders are holding the struggle back with tepid demands and tactics. A revolutionary party is needed to transform the unions into militant bodies that can overthrow the system.
Politically responding to these attacks actually worked in our favour: several students drew even closer to the party. Three have since agreed to join, and we are still discussing with others.
On the back of this successful work, we are now applying to set up an official Marxist Society, to continue building the RCP at Newcastle University.
This shows that supporting workers in struggle and building the party are not at odds with each other. Marxist ideas belong on the picket line!
Also see: City University cleaners are sweeping away the profiteers
