An impressive unity of staff and students at VU Amsterdam was on display during the strike on 7 April. 2,500 people gathered in the sun on the campus square for speeches followed by a march through the Zuidas district, to voice their opposition against the proposed budget cuts in higher education, in what was the largest protest ever to take place at the VU! While the strike was supported by the University Board and directed at the government, criticisms against the university itself were also raised regarding the handling of the reorganisation and lay-offs at the department of Earth Sciences.
The strike committee at VU Amsterdam would like to thank WOinActie, FNV, AOB and SRVU for their support in organising the strike. But most importantly: a huge thanks to all staff and students who joined us! It is particularly encouraging that students participated massively in the strike, both organizing it and attending the protest and march. Students are the beating heart of a university and the future of a society.
Ironically, the day after our strike, and while our colleagues in Rotterdam were striking themselves, the senate approved the government’s proposed budget cuts to education. It did not come as a surprise, but it was still a huge disappointment, as we kept hoping, against all odds, that some of the senators (especially of parties such as CDA and CU) would come to their senses and oppose the cuts. Some universities, in particular Radboud University in Nijmegen and Tilburg University, have already announced that they will contest the budget cuts in court: they see it as a breach of contract on the part of the government, given the promise of the previous government to invest substantially in universities (research and teaching) for 10 years. We urge the University Board of the VU to also consider pursuing the legal path and taking the government to court to contest the budget cuts.
On our side, we must keep the pressure on! The massive protest on November 25th 2024 caused enough political pressure to force the government to reduce the budget cuts from 2 billion euros to 1,2 billion; protesting works! Our own protest at the VU even made it to national TV, on Nieuwsuur. The opposition parties fighting against the budget cuts–especially GL/PvdA, SP, and D66–need public support (our support!) to continue their fierce opposition in the political arena against the cuts. We need to make sure that prioritizing education, and higher education in particular, remains a lively topic in public debates, as a topic that all politicians and parties must contend with. Higher education is essential for democracy and innovation, and especially a ‘knowledge economy’ such as that of the Netherlands can simply not continue to thrive without substantive investment in universities.
In practical terms, the next steps are being discussed now both nationally (by the unions and WOinActie) and locally by the strike committee. There will likely be a large national protest in May or June, similar to the one in November. At the VU, we will continue to mobilize and to call on the University Board to stand on the side of staff and students, in particular to take legal measures against these draconian cuts which threaten the very mission of this institution. So please stay tuned for the next steps; we need to stand strong to defend our universities more than ever! Updates will be posted regularly on our website