Tensions build as talks break down at University of Leeds

The breakdown comes less than 24 hours after the biggest turn out in a strike ballot in the union's history delivered a clear mandate for industrial action if negotiations failed. Fifty four staff have already lost their jobs and another 700 positions are at risk.
 
UCU said it was shocked at the attitude adopted by the university. The union said the university's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies was evidence of how far out of touch vice-chancellor Professor Michael Arthur and his team were with staff.
 
The union said that despite provocation from the management side it would continue to try and seek a negotiated solution. However, it also warned that there would be an emergency general meeting on Wednesday (10 February) where next steps, including industrial action, would be discussed.
 
Leeds UCU president, Professor Malcolm Povey, said: 'After hours of talks aimed at setting up processes directed at redundancy avoidance, the university side has insisted on the right to make compulsory redundancies. It was already clear from our ballot yesterday that the majority of the university has lost confidence and trust in senior management. Their behaviour will further compound the problem.
 
'Frankly, I was shocked by the attitude adopted by the university management. We cannot agree to compulsory redundancies. The precedent it sets for the rest of the university undergoing the formal reviews and the cost cutting economies exercise is simply frightening.'