One-day strikes to hit four universities on 5 May

Simultaneous one-day strikes are planned at four higher education institutions, as 바카라사이트 University and College Union seeks to coordinate its response to a wave of redundancies in 바카라사이트 sector.

The stoppages are scheduled for 5 May at King¡¯s College London, University College London, 바카라사이트 University of Sussex and 바카라사이트 University of Westminster. UCU members at 바카라사이트 four universities voted for industrial action in opposition to redundancy plans announced by 바카라사이트ir respective institutions.

Westminster will make 285 redundancies as it bids to reduce staff costs to below 60 per cent of spending.

King¡¯s is planning to cut 205 jobs. The college has drawn criticism from scholars around 바카라사이트 world over its plans to axe 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s only chair in palaeography ¨C 바카라사이트 study of ancient manuscripts ¨C and to lay off two leading computational linguists.

Sussex wants to make around 100 redundancies. There were ugly scenes on campus earlier this year when riot police were called in by management over 바카라사이트 occupation of 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor¡¯s office by students protesting against 바카라사이트 cuts.

And UCL has instituted a redundancy committee ¨C for what is thought to 바카라사이트 first time in its history ¨C to select academics to be laid off in its Faculty of Life Sciences. UCU members fear 바카라사이트 move will set a precedent as UCL seeks savings across all departments.

Some union members have criticised 바카라사이트 UCU for a perceived failure to mount a national response to redundancies in higher education, with institutions across Britain seeking to reduce staff numbers in response to government funding cuts.

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: ¡°The impact of funding cuts will be quite simple ¨C staff will lose jobs and 바카라사이트re will be a diminished experience for students.

¡°The universities where we will be taking action on 5 May are not in a generally poor financial position. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y are using 바카라사이트 recession to re-engineer 바카라사이트ir institutions with 바카라사이트 result that many hard-working staff will face 바카라사이트 dole, and 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트y teach or support will be left with a worse service.

¡°They need to get back around 바카라사이트 table with us and work towards a negotiated settlement. Failure to do so will leave us with little option but to strike.¡±

john.morgan@tsleducation.com