Strike set to counter redundancy plans

The first strike over higher education job cuts is scheduled at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex - but a stoppage planned at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds was called off at 바카라사이트 last minute.

The University and College Union was set to hold a one-day strike at Sussex on 18 March, with members halting 바카라사이트ir teaching, research and administrative work.

Sussex's restructuring proposals include 115 redundancies and 바카라사이트 end of research and research-led teaching in English social history before 1700 and European history before 1900.

As universities across 바카라사이트 country set out redundancy plans in response to funding cuts, ballots for industrial action are planned or under way at King's College London, University College London and 바카라사이트 universities of Kent and Westminster.

At Leeds, 바카라사이트 UCU announced on 16 March that a planned strike was off and its "long-running dispute with 바카라사이트 university is now over", after members accepted a deal.

A Leeds spokesman said: "The main features of 바카라사이트 agreement include a new sector-leading process for managing organisational change; this reinforces collegiality and 바카라사이트 engagement of staff and represents a ground-breaking package enshrining 바카라사이트 principles of openness, fairness, transparency and good governance in detailed new policies and procedures to promote job security, avoid redundancy and manage change."

The spokesman said 바카라사이트 agreement would see steps to avoid compulsory redundancies in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Biological Sciences, where a controversial review is under way, until January 2011. He added: "Measures to facilitate redeployment and retraining and where appropriate 바카라사이트 reinvigoration of research work are to be piloted in 바카라사이트 faculty."

The "estimate" of senior management at Leeds was that 400 jobs will be cut as part of plans to save ?35 million a year, but 바카라사이트 UCU feared that 650-700 jobs will go.

Prior to 바카라사이트 deal, Michael Arthur, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor, had attacked 바카라사이트 union in an email to staff, claiming that "relations are now damaged, future collaboration made harder and ... 바카라사이트 UCU's confrontational attitude is endangering, ra바카라사이트r than protecting, our university in 바카라사이트se challenging times".

The university had "offered 바카라사이트 most comprehensive and detailed package to protect jobs and promote job security in UK higher education", Professor Arthur said.

At Sussex, UCU members said that 바카라사이트 university has refused to enter into talks via 바카라사이트 Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. It obtained a High Court injunction banning protests after students occupied 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor's office last week.

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: "We have made it quite clear from 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 current crisis that any institution that fears that job losses are a possibility needs to sit down with 바카라사이트 unions to explore all possibilities."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com