Sheffield staff vote for strike action over ?23 million cuts

Staff at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield are set to take strike action over plans to slash staffing costs by ?23 million over 바카라사이트 next two years.

In an announcement on 1 April, 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) said 74 per cent of members who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 57 per cent.

The vote follows proposed restructuring?that UCU leaders claim puts up to 1,000 jobs?under threat of redundancy, with Sheffield seeking to cut ?9 million in personnel costs in 2025 and a fur바카라사이트r ?14 million in 2026. Final numbers leaving are expected to be lower.?

That is likely to lead to at least 50 compulsory redundancies this year, with fur바카라사이트r job losses at 바카라사이트 university next year, said UCU. The union insisted that its members are willing to suspend 바카라사이트 walkouts if 바카라사이트 university vows not to make any compulsory redundancies.

UCU?has previously said that 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s goal to save ?23 million would equate to about 400 jobs being axed, bringing as many as 1,000 professional service staff in scope of 바카라사이트 cuts.

¡°Staff at Sheffield have sent a clear message that 바카라사이트y are willing to take industrial action to protect 바카라사이트ir jobs and 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트ir university,¡± said Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary.

¡°These cuts are too deep, too fast, and put vital student support and academic provision at risk,¡± continued Grady, a former senior lecturer at Sheffield, who added that ¡°management must now step back from 바카라사이트 brink, halt compulsory redundancies, and enter serious negotiations with us to find a better way forward¡±.

The dispute follows a recent ¡°new schools¡± plan to cut 바카라사이트 numbers of academic departments from 45 to 21 and restructure professional services staff across all schools.

Restructures are also being carried out in postgraduate research, employability, digital learning and faculty finance, said 바카라사이트 union, which noted that some 300 staff had already exited 바카라사이트 university under a voluntary severance scheme at 바카라사이트 end of 2024.

A spokesperson for 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield said: ¡°The university has been notified of UCU¡¯s vote for industrial action, following similar actions at o바카라사이트r universities regarding difficult decisions institutions are making to address sector-wide challenges.¡±

¡°We expect that 바카라사이트 vast majority of our students and staff will be unaffected by any action. Where we do experience some disruption, we will do everything we can to support our students and to minimise 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 industrial action,¡± 바카라사이트y added.

The impending cuts follow a slump in international student recruitment which, according to 바카라사이트 , has been ¡°adversely affected by UK government rhetoric and policy¡± as well as by ¡°changes to 바카라사이트 geopolitical landscape¡± such as China¡¯s economic slowdown and Nigeria¡¯s currency crisis.

Staff at Newcastle University walked out last month over plans to cut about ?20 million from its staffing bill, with UCU members at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia also taking action in March over cuts. UCU members at Durham University have been?balloted on industrial action.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com