Staff in capital call for strikes

Strikes are on 바카라사이트 cards at two London universities after votes by union members.

Ballots held by 바카라사이트 University and College Union at University College London and 바카라사이트 University of Westminster both supported strike action over planned job cuts.

Voting at 바카라사이트 universities closed today.

If strikes are mounted at UCL and Westminster, 바카라사이트y would follow King¡¯s College London, which was 바카라사이트 first institution to hold a stoppage in protest against 바카라사이트 current wave of redundancy programmes across higher education.

The UCU said members at 바카라사이트 University of Arts London also ¡°look likely to ballot for industrial action¡±.

At Westminster, 63 per cent of UCU members who voted opted for strike action and 85 per cent backed action short of a strike, 바카라사이트 union said.

At UCL, 61 per cent of UCU members who voted supported strike action and 64 per cent endorsed action short of a strike.

Westminster wants to cut 285 posts to reduce staff costs to 60 per cent of total expenditure, while UCL has set up a redundancy committee to select staff in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Life Sciences to be compulsorily laid off as it seeks campus-wide savings.

It is thought to be 바카라사이트 first time in UCL¡¯s history that it has taken such measures.

Sean Wallis, UCU branch secretary at 바카라사이트 university, said: ¡°The provost told 바카라사이트 trade unions that UCL is on track to make a surplus of ?7 million this year. These are cuts of choice, not necessity, and management could end 바카라사이트 dispute tomorrow.¡±

Peter McLoughlin, UCU branch secretary at Westminster, said: ¡°Management¡¯s decision to seek a 10 per cent cut in staff before July has never been justified by any of 바카라사이트 figures 바카라사이트y have produced, and savings could be made over a longer period without making people redundant.¡±

The union said that 바카라사이트 ¡°nature and timing of industrial action will become much clearer in 바카라사이트 next few days as members at 바카라사이트 universities meet to discuss next steps¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com