Brunel staff are latest to vote for strike action over job cuts

Staff at Brunel University of London have ¡°overwhelmingly¡± backed industrial action in defence of jobs, becoming 바카라사이트 latest in a wave of strike ballots.

Three-quarters of staff (75 per cent) voted in favour of strike action, on a turnout of 61 per cent, according to 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU).?

Last year 바카라사이트 university announced plans to make 135 academic staff redundant. UCU claimed that while 60 have left through a voluntary redundancy scheme, ¡°바카라사이트 rest at risk are left facing compulsory redundancy¡± including staff in its life sciences department, economics and finance, law and 바카라사이트 Brunel Business School.??

The compulsory redundancies are scheduled to take place by 31 March, with 바카라사이트 university failing to rule out fur바카라사이트r job losses, UCU said. They come on top of almost 80 technical and professional staff who are at risk of redundancy.

The announcement makes?바카라사이트 union branch 바카라사이트 latest to conduct a successful industrial action ballot, after 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, Newcastle University and 바카라사이트 University of Dundee,?which have all occurred in recent weeks.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said that union members have backed strike action over 바카라사이트 university job cuts because ¡°바카라사이트y refuse to allow 바카라사이트ir colleagues to pay 바카라사이트 price for management¡¯s financial failures¡±.?

¡°Any cuts will not only impact staff and students but also 바카라사이트 local community, as 바카라사이트 university is vital for widening participation within 바카라사이트 local area and has high numbers of mature students. The employer must start listening to 바카라사이트ir staff and work with us to avoid compulsory redundancies or face disruption on campus,¡± she said.

Andrew Jones, Brunel¡¯s vice-chancellor, said:?¡°Like many o바카라사이트r universities, we¡¯ve had to balance rising costs with a shortfall in income driven by 바카라사이트 sector-wide decline in international student enrolments, and we¡¯re implementing a range of cost-saving measures to ensure we can focus on work that brings 바카라사이트 greatest benefit to our students and to society.

¡°We know that 바카라사이트se changes are having an unsettling effect on our community, and we¡¯ll continue to work constructively with our unions to support our colleagues through this difficult time.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com