USyd and UTS students protest cuts and increased fees

Jayfel Tulabing reports.

Students converged outside Fisher Library at noon today to protest attacks on higher education. The rally was organised by the USyd Education Action Group as a response to cuts to staff and courses, as well as fee increases implemented by the Federal Government this year. Participants marched from Fisher Library to UTS, where they joined a coordinated protest by the UTS Education Action Group. The protest’s Facebook event censured USyd “bosses” for slashing courses and staff despite ending 2020 in a surplus. 

Police officers were sighted on campus from 11:50, reminiscent of 2020 rallies with mass police presence and violence. USyd Education Officers Maddie Clarke and Tom Williams opened the rally with chants and an Acknowledgement of Country before introducing the speakers. 

Rob Boncardo of the National Tertiary Education Union thanked staff and students for their “unshakeable solidarity”. Boncardo highlighted the importance of activism, striking and campaigning this year as university workers “bargain with management” for their workers’ rights. He also noted the 250 full-time staff redundancies that were made in 2020.

SRC President, Swapnik Sanagavarapu questioned the university. “If they are able to turnover millions of dollars in surplus, why is it so difficult to adequately compensate casuals for the labour that they do?” 

Sanagavarapu also called the new proposal for 12-week semesters an “attack” on staff and students, stating that it will “worsen the quality of learning”. 

SRC Welfare Officer Lia Perkins spoke on the impact the changes to higher education would have on disadvantaged students. Perkins highlighted how the fight must be for “free, fully-funded education for all...because education is a right”. She stated that the university “belongs to us, the staff and the students” and that without us, these institutions would cease to exist. 

The rally consisted of less than 30 protestors, who marched from USyd to UTS main building down Broadway and yelled chants. 

“1, 2, 3, Fuck the VC!”, “When our education is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “What do we want? Stop the cuts! When do we want it? Now!” 

The parallel UTS protest was led by Education Officer Ellie Woodward, who was joined by a number of speakers.  

Dr Mark Gawne criticised “university management for continuing to impose job cuts on universities” despite their financial surplus. 

UTS Ethnocultural Officer Melodie Grafton spoke of UTS’ decision to cut the two courses: ‘Sex, Race & Empire’ and ‘Aboriginal Political History’, questioning their anti-racism agenda in the wake of the Black Lives Matter Movement. 

UTS International Officer Luna Manandhard urged UTS  to stop thinking of university students as “cash cows” and suggested the idea of a payment-by-instalments plan for international students, rather than up-front tuition fees. She also called for a 20% decrease in international student fees if they remain overseas, unable to access university facilities. 

UTS activist Grace Bowskill highlighted how “universities work for Australian capitalism”, funnelling students into “degree factories to fuel capitalism”. 

Senior UTS Academic Paddy Gibson ended his passionate address by proclaiming 2021 “the year of the strike”, calling for attendance at workers’ strikes via support on the picket lines and for attendance at the May 21 Climate Strike. 

The combined UTS and USyd contingent marched to UTS Square where the rally concluded. Despite their heavy presence, police remained at a distance and did not interfere with the rally. To find out more about education campaigns happening on campus, join the Education Action Collective’s Facebook page.