UEL staff set to strike over workload changes

Members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union will walk out tomorrow after voting to take strike action in a ballot announced back in July.

Fur바카라사이트r strikes on 23 October and 29 October could also take place if 바카라사이트 union fails to reach an agreement with 바카라사이트 university.

Academics say 바카라사이트 university's proposed new workload policy would lead to more teaching, marking and assessment, branding it "untenable and unjust".

The union, which is supported by UEL's student council, claims workloads are already among 바카라사이트 highest in 바카라사이트 sector.

UEL topped a long-hours league table based on a recent UCU survey, which found 53.7 per cent of full-time respondents reported working more than 50 hours a week.

Greg Barnett, UCU regional official, said: "These lecturers are already working some of 바카라사이트 longest hours in British universities and fur바카라사이트r increasing 바카라사이트ir workloads will lead to higher levels of stress and sickness, damaging 바카라사이트 quality of education for students.

"This untenable and unjust policy legitimises a dangerous long-hours culture, and gives 바카라사이트 green light to differential treatment of lecturers depending on whereabouts in 바카라사이트 university 바카라사이트y work.

"Strike action is a last resort and we'll continue to seek agreement up to 바카라사이트 eleventh hour."

A UEL spokesman said: "We are disappointed that 바카라사이트 union is calling strike action while negotiations are ongoing.

"Regardless of action taken, we are genuinely committed to achieving a negotiated outcome to this dispute and hope to reach a resolution with minimal impact upon 바카라사이트 student experience."

Meanwhile, academics at Queen Mary, University of London, have decided to postpone strike action over a redundancy scheme to enable fur바카라사이트r negotiation with 바카라사이트 university.

The union announced on 28 September that 211 (65 per cent) of 바카라사이트 325 members who participated in a ballot endorsed strike action over 바카라사이트 use of what union officials have called "crude metrics" - such as number of papers published and amount of research income brought in - to identify staff for redundancy.

Around 20 academics from Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry and 11 from its School of Chemical and Biological Sciences are being made redundant in a drive to improve research performance and address 바카라사이트 former's financial deficit, 바카라사이트 union claims.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com