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University of Sussex cancels job cuts meeting

5 March 2010

The University of Sussex postponed a meeting of its Senate at the eleventh hour following a record turnout by members of UCU in a clear vote for industrial action at the institution.

The university's senate was due to meet today to discuss a motion that called for job cut plans to be put on hold. However, last night the university announced that the meeting had been postponed until Wednesday 17 March. A university Council meeting on Friday 26 March will now make the final decision on whether or not to push ahead with the university's 'Proposals For Change' document, which would see 115 jobs go at the university.
 
The union today said that the Senate meeting needed to hear full details of the alternative plans developed by staff before it reported to the Council meeting. UCU has produced a costed alternative plan which would seek to deliver savings through more flexible working and avoids the need for redundancies. The inventive proposals were backed by Brighton and Hove Council at a meeting last month.
 
The union said that although its members at Sussex had given a clear mandate for industrial action, it still hoped the dispute could be resolved without any disruption. On Wednesday it was revealed that over three-quarters of staff (76%) who voted supported strike action and over four-fifths (82%) agreed to action short of a strike. The turnout of 80.9% was a record for the union in a strike ballot.
 
The news of the Wednesday's ballot result came just a month after UCU members at the University of Leeds delivered a then record turnout to vote for strike action. There are currently strike ballots taking place at King's College London and the University College London.
 
UCU Sussex representative, Paul Cecil, said: 'UCU believes today's meeting has been postponed because of the rising tide of frustration across campus, most notably expressed in our outstanding ballot result. There has to be proper time for the Senate to consider the impact of the university's plans and our alternative proposal.
 
'UCU members have delivered a clear mandate for industrial action at the University of Sussex. However, we believe that a negotiated settlement is still possible if the university steps back from implementing its job cut plans and Senate is allowed to fully consider the detailed counter-proposals that have been brought forward.'
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Industrial action is always a last resort but the bottom line is that serious job losses will impact massively across the University of Sussex and result in a far worse experience for students. This result, coupled with the Leeds one, makes it quite clear just how strong the feeling is around the country on this issue.'
Last updated: 11 December 2015

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