Student Union calls indefinite strike against Ayuso's policies

Indefinite student strike against Ayuso's policies

The term has begun and the Student Union has taken action. The organization called an indefinite strike against Isabel Díaz Ayuso's policies, backed by a message that allows no nuance: «We students will go on an indefinite strike and WE will not study.» No return date, no negotiation calendar on the table, and classes are freshly peine.

Who called the strike and who do they represent

The Student Union presents itself as a revolutionary, Marxist, anti-fascist, workers' and anti-capitalist organization. On paper, such a call should mobilize thousands of students. In practice, the first doubt raised is about representativeness: some point out that their spokespeople have not been elected by anyone and that their membership base is small. Others argue that the bulk of the union consists of activist cadres, not a student body, and there are comments suggesting that much of its leadership is over thirty, far from the profile of an undergraduate student.

Why call it now, at the start of the term

The timing is not accidental and speaks volumes. One comment in the thread suggests that tuition fees are paid at the beginning of the term, not monthly. According to that same comment, an indefinite strike would generate no economic pressure on either university accounts or the pockets of those calling it. As noted in that comment, the protest would have a different dimension if it involved refusing to pay fees, but payment has already been made. The counterparty is assumed by those who need the classroom to pass, finding the door shut.

The background: public versus private university

Beyond the banner, the call exposes an older malaise. One part of the diagnosis holds that public universities are less interested in teaching and more interested in expensive Master's programs, corporate agreements, and research production. The other side of the coin is that this discontent does not automatically translate into private enrollments: according to this account, the growth of paid centers is explained by the feeling that the classroom functions there.

Can a student join a strike?

This is where the fundamental legal debate arises. Some maintain that a strike, in strict terms, is the right of salaried workers; a student does not receive a salary for studying, so the status remains in a legal limbo. This does not prevent mobilization, but it relativizes its condition as formal industrial action. The most delicate point noted is the picket: preventing access to class for those who want to attend turns a protest into a conflict with third parties who do not endorse it.

No one specifies what demands are being negotiated or what would constitute a withdrawal. The strike remains open, without an end date, and the question of why Ayuso returns repeatedly without a definitive answer. That is where the calculation stands: much gesture, few accounts.