Keele redundancies

In 2007 Keele University's council approved a plan to close most of the School of Economic and Management Studies' current programmes in management, economics and industrial relations and human resource management, placing 38 of the 67 academic staff in the school at risk of redundancy.

Threat of redundancies lifted: On 16 February 2009 we were notified that the university council had formally agreed to revoke the determination made on 6 December 2007 to establish a redundancy committee.

18 December 2008: the university council accepted a new business plan developed by the school.

4 September 2008: Petition to Visitor upheld. The ruling upholds the right of senate to direct and regulate the instruction and teaching of the university, subject to council's powers of review. See decision (.pdf), press release, and Times Higher Education article.

12 June 2008: UCU was pleased to report that, in no small measure due to the support of members, the branch at Keele reached an acceptable interim settlement around which serious negotiations can now take place.

The action short of a strike and all calls for greylisting was suspended with immediate effect.

Thank you to all for your support of members and the campaign at Keele.

Background

Keele's university council established an unprecedented 'redundancy committee' on 6 December 2007, bypassing the normal consultation and decision-making processes at the university's senate or faculty meetings.

How the dispute unfolded:

• Staff redundancy threat at Keele University over closure plans
• Keele University faces strike action over redundancies
• Protests planned for chancellor's speech in Keele University jobs row
• Keele lecturers vote for strike action
• Keele jobs fight continues with weekend protests
• Keele University national protest rally
• Keele University told to halt redundancy plans ahead of investigation
• Friday the Thirteenth could see international boycott of Keele University
• Keele University greylisting suspended as union strikes deal

Petition

After a settlement was reached with the university, our petition opposing the plans closed with 2,891 signatories. Thank you to everyone who signed.

Links

• Keele UCU