The six public universities in the Community of Madrid are calling for two days of strike on 4th and 5th November to demand more funding.
The six public universities in Madrid are calling for two days of general strike on 4th and 5th November, as reported by cronista.com. The measure aims to denounce the lack of funding for the university system, which the institutions attribute to an "economic suffocation".
The call comes from the Coordinadora en defensa de la Universidad Pública, which includes the University of Alcalá (UAH), the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M), the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), and the King Juan Carlos University (URJC). The strike adds to the indefinite strike of teachers in Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, and Vocational Training, which has been ongoing since 14th October.
According to the organisers, spending on universities amounts to 0.4% of the regional gross domestic product (GDP). They place it far from the 1% required by the Organic Law of the University System (LOSU) and below the national average of 0.75% and the European average of 0.92%. They warn that the lack of resources could push students towards private universities.
The organisers also denounce the increase of private security on campuses and the police intervention in protests, especially the charges against peaceful demonstrators at the Complutense University. They accuse the central government, the regional government, and the rectors of supporting a policy of intimidation.
It is unacceptable that those who defend a public, free, and quality education for the working class are met with violence for exercising their fundamental rights.
The movement also links its demands to the housing crisis and supports the general strike on 11th November. Before the strike days, the Coordinadora plans a rally on 28th October in front of the Department of Education.
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