King's College protest over £20m acquisition of East Wing of Somerset House as jobs axed

The union argues that when £27m of cuts are being made, with 205 posts at risk of redundancy and more to follow, the timing of the event could not be more insensitive.
 
The College has opened a £20m fund to cover the running costs of the building, while imposing a blanket 10% cut in costs elsewhere. The union says no meaningful consultation has taken place over the proposals to purchase Somerset House and believes that staff and students should be consulted on the College's future.
 
The union says King's College has to explain why it sees fit to axe staff and shut distinguished departments when it has cash reserves of £180m. The Engineering department is to be closed after 170 years at King's, the Equalities and Diversity department has been scrapped and there are threats to Philosophy, Information Resources, American Studies and the only Chair of Palaeography in the UK.
 
UCU has been balloting its members at King's for industrial action since Thursday 4 March. The ballot closes on Monday 22 March and the union has warned that unless negotiations produce a breakthrough it will have little alternative but to implement strike action.
 
King's College UCU president, Jim Wolfreys, said: 'It is insensitive that the College is showing off a new building to alumni at exactly the same time it is planning to axe staff. Major decisions are being taken about the future of the College and the livelihoods of its staff and yet there has been minimal consultation with those concerned. Our members here at King's have been left with little option but to ballot for industrial action. The cuts will inflict lasting damage on the College's academic reputation and will seriously compromise its ability to remain a world class research institution. The loss of staff will lead to an increase in workloads for those who remain, and drain their morale. The impact on students will also be severe.'
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'There is no logic behind these cuts whatsoever. King's College has the cash resources to defend jobs and should actively be doing so. Staff are the most important resource at any institution and it is highly distasteful for the college to find the funds to acquire the East Wing of Somerset House at the same time as it looking to get rid of staff.'