The strike of federal universities and the challenges of mobilization in graduate school

Abstract

In this article I present a critical account of the strike by students, teachers and workers at the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) in 2015 from the discussion on the challenges of mobilization in graduate school. This strike took place within the framework of the first budget cuts carried out at the beginning of the second term of President Dilma Rousseff, which affected the financial balance of the provinces, resulting in a delay in the payment of salaries and scholarships. In order to understand through which mechanisms the reduction of transfer impacts the federal university, we analyzed the relationship between the strike in 2015 and the dismantling process of the Federal Universities Restructuring and Expansion program (REUNI), the main reason for organizing the political struggle reported. I also present the lessons learned in a scenario of severe attacks on the public university in order to point out solutions to the problem of the organization of graduate students, who historically have been unable to articulate in defense of their own interests.