University of Bradford staff announce further strike dates job cuts row

Staff will strike every weekday from Monday 22 September until Friday 3 October in their dispute over redundancies, disrupting the first two weeks of the new academic year.  

Pickets will take place every day from 8am till 12pm at: 

• Great Horton Road Entrance BD7 1DP 
• Carlton Street/Tumbling Hill Street BD7 1DB 
• Sherbridge Road BD7 1NX  
• Lonsdale Lane BD7 1HR 

Staff will hold a rally at the Great Horton Road entrance to the university at 11:30am on Monday 22 September.  

The action comes after an overwhelming 82% of staff backed strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 57%, and follows previous strike action in June, July and August. 

The planned cuts will see chemistry and film & television courses shut down, despite Bradford being UNESCO's first City of Film and this year's UK City of Culture. The School of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences launched successful apprenticeship programmes that are crucial to training skilled workers for the regional economy and the uptake for such degree apprenticeships is increasing. 

Despite ongoing efforts to avoid compulsory redundancies through voluntary schemes and some limited changes to original plans, 9 professors and 47 full time equivalent lecturers from the School of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the School of Built Environment, Architecture and Creative Industries remain at risk of compulsory redundancy. These staff could have their work redirected into existing areas where workload is excessive, reducing overwork and saving jobs in one move.  

In addition the university is continuing to identify other non-academic areas where it can cut jobs. The latest group of staff affected being technicians who do a vital job in keeping specialist areas of the university such as labs and specialist areas running.   

The union has called on the employer to rule out compulsory redundancies or face disruption on campus.  

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'UCU members will be on strike again for two weeks, as part of our ongoing fight against course closures and job cuts at the University of Bradford. Management needs to listen to the voices of its staff, rethink the cuts and rule out compulsory redundancies. It is now for the employer to decide if the university wants to avoid disruption to students at the beginning of the new academic year.'