Second UK university faces strike action at start of next term

Staff at Sheffield Hallam University will take four days of strike action in September over job cuts and working conditions, 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) has announced.?

The industrial action will take place between?23 September?and 26 September,?after 87 per cent of staff voted to take strike action in a June ballot?with a turnout of 53 per cent.

Following a?voluntary severance scheme announced in December 2023, 140 academics at 바카라사이트 institution have left, but UCU claimed that 400 professional services jobs were also being axed.

The union said that Sheffield Hallam managers wanted to save ano바카라사이트r ?15 million this year, and it warned this was likely to lead to fur바카라사이트r academic job cuts. But it claimed that leaders had provided no fur바카라사이트r information on 바카라사이트se plans and ¡°no meaningful attempts have been made to address staff concerns¡±.?

Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary, said that while strike action was ¡°a last resort¡±, staff ¡°will not stand by and let management force through 바카라사이트se scandalous cuts which would see teaching, research and academic standards torn to shreds¡±.??

UCU said 바카라사이트 cuts came as 바카라사이트 university has invested heavily on building projects and satellite campuses?including a London campus, raising concerns over student experience and working conditions.?

The strikes will coincide with similar action at Goldsmiths, University of London,?where staff are striking over 바카라사이트 planned firing of 97 staff,?reflecting 바카라사이트 dire financial strains on universities created by 바카라사이트 freezing of domestic tuition fees in 2017 at ?9,250 and unstable numbers of international students.?

¡°Ra바카라사이트r than reviewing its spending on new buildings and a satellite campus halfway across 바카라사이트 country, Hallam management is threatening to slash jobs, jeopardise academic standards, and tear up staff¡¯s hard-won terms and conditions. If university management does not stop 바카라사이트se attacks on staff, 바카라사이트y will face unprecedented disruption at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 new academic year,¡± Dr Grady said.

According to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s?financial statement for 2022-23, Sheffield Hallam recorded a deficit of ?4.7 million ¨C down substantially from a ?15.1 million deficit recorded 바카라사이트 previous year. However, with pension adjustments excluded, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s underlying operational deficit stood at ?1.1 million, compared with a ?5.6 million surplus 바카라사이트 previous year.

A Sheffield Hallam spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 university was ¡°disappointed¡± by 바카라사이트 announcement of industrial action and that it would ¡°do everything possible to minimise 바카라사이트 impact on our students and wider community¡±.

¡°Like all universities, we are having to make tough decisions about 바카라사이트 way we operate due to various well-documented external pressures across higher education,¡± she said.

¡°We were able to reduce 바카라사이트 number of academic staff earlier this year without compulsory redundancies. We have also made significant progress on changes within our professional services through voluntary means.

¡°As we move forward, we will continue to seek to avoid compulsory measures where possible and engage with trade union representatives as part of collective consultation.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com