UCU calls on Open University to withdraw fire and rehire threat

In a letter sent to the OU's vice chancellor and chair of council, the local branch has expressed their shock at the institution's plan to threaten a group of Associate Lecturers with fire and rehire proceedings. 

The OU first began consulting on fire and rehire plans in 2023 and expects to fire over 20 lecturers in the early part of 2025 if those staff refuse to have their working hours and pay reduced. Many of the 160 staff initially threatened with fire and rehire have confirmed they only signed up to reductions in hours and pay because of that threat.  The tutors under threat (who provide tuition and academic support to students) have a high workload, often because they have agreed to do additional work in areas the university has found it hard to recruit in.   

The union has accused management of preventing meaningful negotiations and not even considering reasonable counter offers from UCU in recent ACAS supported discussions about the plans. 

The union said the use of fire and rehire calls into question the university leadership's commitment to its staff and the values of the institution, and is now seeking legal advice and considering potential industrial action.   

UCU OU branch president, Peter Wood said: 'The use of fire and rehire has no place in higher education and suggests the Open University values neither its staff or students, or cares about its reputation. The university is using fire and rehire to punish staff who are unhappy with their proposals and is trying to bully the process through before changes to the law. 

'The plans that the Open University have put in place are unprecedented, unreasonable, unfair, and totally at odds with the institutional values of the university. We urge them to reconsider the current course of action before causing irreparable damage, or face the threat of industrial action.'