Ghent University is the largest employer in the Belgian province of East Flanders with 15,000 employees. In addition, there are 50,000 students enrolled. The resources for higher education have been under pressure for some time now. Until now, this has mainly been dealt with through minor interventions. Partly driven by the right-wing Flemish government and Minister of Education Ben Weyts from the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (New Flemish Alliance — N-VA), the university (UGent) now wants to proceed to step up attacks on staff. Everyone will be affected, but especially those that kept on working during the pandemic in childcare, internal mail and logistics, restaurants and so on.
We spoke with Tim Joosen, shop-steward for the socialist union ACOD at UGent.
What are UGent’s plans?
“Hands off our education!” The Active Left Students rejects the cuts at UGent as a new attack on the democratic character of higher education. Any reduction of services inevitably affects students, especially the most vulnerable ones who depend on cheap meals in the restaurants or on decent and affordable childcare. Attacks on university staff always affect students as well.
These attacks are the result of an austerity policy conducted by the Flemish government led by Jan Jambon (N-VA) and Education Minister Weyts (N-VA) in particular. After Jambon exposed himself up as minister of ‘cancel culture’, by attacking the cultural sector, Weyts now turns against education.
We stand up for more resources for education to make it better and more accessible. Opposition to the austerity plan at UGent is crucial in this fight. Students: join the fight, mobilise with us to the demonstration on 23 February!
“For several months now, the Board of directors has been discussing a strategic reform plan for the university that includes a reorganisation of faculties. This is immediately linked to an austerity plan that is very harsh. It may be useful to take a thorough look at the organisation of the university, but the austerity plan is unacceptable.”
“The measures affect everyone. For example, there is the proposal to scrap leave days, and the conditions for hospitalisation insurance are getting worse, especially for older workers who would have to pay more. The registration fee for Ph.D students would in practice double: today they pay only in the first and last year, from now on this would be the case every year. Furthermore, the prices for staff in the university’s restaurants would go up by 50%. Who will eat there at those prices? A fall in the number of visitors will then, of course, be used to cut down on the restaurants themselves.”
“The attack that hits hardest is the one that directly threatens about 100 jobs. It is proposed to outsource three services. These are the restaurant for professors and visitors, the internal mail and logistics service and, finally, the two childcare centres that are run with funds from the university. Today, part of the childcare for staff and students with children is already being outsourced to a private company. UGent wants to outsource all childcare, of course with detrimental consequences for staff and users, since private childcare has to work with fewer resources.”
“The heroes of the corona crisis, such as those of the day-care centres, are not being thanked by the UGent Board today, but are being knifed in the back.”
Why is the Board now coming up with these proposals?
“We have been told that there has been a financial problem at the university for several years now. The trade unions are not convinced that this necessitates such a plan. But it is true that the Flemish government has been making cuts in higher education for years. Since the 2008 funding decree, higher education has lost up to 35% of its budget. Until now, the shortfalls have been met with minor cuts or by postponing renovations. Now the Board of directors says that substantial cuts on staff are necessary.”
“This operation is also driven by the Flemish government. The right-wing government wants to show that cuts can be made in higher education, and that staff costs are too high. After years of ‘soft’ cuts, the choice is limited: either stop the cuts or go one step further in the cuts logic. The Flemish government is pushing the latter option. If this succeeds at UGent, the rest of higher education will follow. This is a test case for the feasibility of harsh cuts by the Flemish government.”
How is the staff reacting?
“The reactions are very fierce and strong. We thought there would be anger, especially since the attacks are so general. But it has been very strong. At the childcare centres there was a spontaneous call to strike, even before the union could talk to the staff. They contacted us themselves with a clear position: if UGent proposes this, we go on strike. On Thursday 13 January there was the first strike day.”
“The rector initially tried to communicate as little as possible about the cuts. There was communication about the general reform plan, but not about the exact cuts that were being proposed. With the representatives of the workforce, who also sit on the Board of directors, we decided to make the attacks public. There have been a huge number of reactions, which showed great combativeness.”
“In the first days after the attacks, childcare centre staff went on strike, and the anger in the UGent community became clear. A photo of a team from the childcare centres with a cross over each colleague went viral. This is also important: it puts a face to the victims of this cost-cutting operation. Meanwhile, with the union representatives, we took the time to talk to the most affected staff and representatives of the other unions about how we will organise the fight.”
What actions are planned?
“We start with an open-air staff meeting in front of the central administrative building of the university. There we will bring together the hardest hit staff and supporters. There is not yet a massive action, among other things because exams are still going on, and because restrictive measures still apply in the context of the pandemic. Many colleagues are working from home, most desks are empty. This may also play a role on why the Board of Directors decided to launch this attack in January.”
“After the exams and the lesson-free week, we are mobilising towards a demonstration on 23 February. It will pass through the city and several UGent buildings. We want to bring together staff, students and sympathisers to show that there is no support for the plan among the UGent community.”
“Then there will be an action on 8 March, International Women’s Day. At UGent, there is a tradition of actions on that day, especially concerning women’s rights and care professions at the university, and the status of these staff members. Just before the outbreak of the pandemic, there was a strike on 9 March 2020 demanding, among other things, an increase in the minimum wage to 14 euros per hour. That demand was subsequently won. We will take action again on 8 March this year. On 18 March, the ‘dies natalis’ or anniversary of the founding of the university, we will award alternative honorary doctorates to the heroes of the corona crisis who are now affected.”
“These are the first actions. If we don’t get results with them, strike days will follow. So, we may need an action plan of several months.”
Why should students and staff from across the education sector support this struggle?
“As I said before, this is a test case for the entire higher education sector. If this passes at UGent, other universities and colleges will follow. The rectors regularly consult each other about cuts, and the proposal to raise the registration fee for PhD students probably comes from that corner. Perhaps they are also considering the possibility of a general increase in tuition fees for students. This is how the Flemish government’s dirty work is done.”
“In the face of this policy, a relation of forces is needed to obtain more resources for education. We don’t want to see deficits being shuffled around, we want more money. That is a fight against the entire policy of the Flemish government. This will require unity of staff and students from the entire sector.”
