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Aston University: redundancy threat

Around 60 academics in the college of engineering and physical sciences have been told they are at risk of redundancy at Aston University due to a proposal to close some chemistry programmes and rearrange many of the departments. As part of the fight against redundancies, Aston UCU has forced the University into extending the consultation period, and will continue to campaign with the aim of removing all threats of compulsory redundancy.

Update, 21 June 2024: the employer has announced a proposal for significant redundancies among professional services staff, currently over 150 are at risk. This comes at a time where redundancy selection is taking place in chemistry and maths, and languages staff are also in a separate redundancy process. The initiation of a third redundancy consultation, as well as significant job losses though a general voluntary redundancy scheme, illustrates the broad attack on staff and their working conditions.

Coventry Adult Education Service: stop the cuts

Coventry City Council is proposing drastic cuts to services which threaten our members' jobs in adult education as well as opportunities for the people of Coventry. Reductions to central government funding have left the council looking to make savings by proposing to scrap centre creches and cut back on key staff. Please send messages of support to our Coventry Adult and Community Education (ACE) branch who are calling on the council to reverse the proposals.

Update, 14 June 2024: Coventry Adult Education Service UCU branch are asking for support with signing the e-petition, 'Save the Adult Education Service creches and course provision'. 

A major restructure was announced in January 2024. The employer's proposals mean creating a mixture of some new lecturing roles on different contracts and redundancy as part of a £700k cost-saving exercise. The service will also lose all seven creche facilities that have been provided to learners' children for many years. Twenty-two out of twenty-three creche staff will be losing their jobs at the end of July.

The Coventry Trades Union Council have put the petition on the Coventry City Council website. Please note that only individuals who live, work or study in the Coventry area are eligible to complete the petition.

East Sussex College Group: dispute over pay

An industrial ballot opens at East Sussex College Group on Monday 30 September 2024 and will close on Thursday 31 October 2024. The dispute concerns the failure of East Sussex College Group management to offer a substantial pay rise in response to the 2024/25 pay claim.

Edge Hill University: job cuts

Responding to reports of job cuts to come at Edge Hill University UCU regional official Matt Arrowsmith told the Liverpool Echo said, 'We will vigorously defend jobs and are working with members and the employer to seek a satisfactory outcome. This is a difficult time for the affected UCU members, and they can be assured of robust support from their trade union'.

Update, 23 May 2024: Edge Hill University UCU branch has been leading a campaign to stop job cuts in the Department of English and Creative Arts. The employer has confirmed that 11 out of 29 academic staff will be sacked, and that formal redundancy notices will be issued at the start of June. The branch has organised a campaign targeting the university's chancellor Dawn Airey and is urging local mayors, MPs and councillors to write to Ms Airey to urge her to oppose the cuts. Ms Airey has a background in the media and creative arts, including as a senior executive at ITV and Channel 5. She recently told the Financial Times that, as country we must 'urgently invest in the creative industries, widening access and shaking off complacency around the UK's creative superpower status'. You can sign this petition which has already attracted over 2,000 signatures.

University of the Highlands and Islands: job cuts

A ballot for strike action opened on Friday 18 August 2023 at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) in a dispute over job cuts and compulsory redundancies. The ballot would run until 20 September and could pave the way for strike action at the university in the new academic year.

Update, 8 September 2023: UHI UCU branch is asking members to sign their open letter to the university principal and management. The letter has had a great response so far, but the more people who sign the louder the message to management to rethink their massive cuts, rule out compulsory redundancies and stop damaging higher education in the highlands and islands.

Update, 20 September 2023: Staff at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) have this week backed strikes in a dispute over plans to slash £3million from the university's staffing budget and cut up to 44 roles. The union said losing so many staff in such a short timescale was bound to impact on both the student experience, the university's reputation ,and the future of tertiary education in the  Scottish highlands and islands. In the ballot of UHI UCU members, 77% of those who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 86%.

Update, 6 October 2023: UCU Scotland has announced dates for strike action at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). The strike is over the university's plans to cut £4 million, including £3 million from the staff budget and making up to 44 roles redundant. UHI UCU members will take six days of strike action starting on Tuesday 17 October and escalating through to the start of November. The employer has taken no steps to prevent the strike going ahead. Politicians across the Highlands and Islands have also called for talks and consultation between the union and the university.

Update, 13 October 2023: The UCU branch at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) will be taking the first of six days of strike action on Tuesday 17 October. The dispute is over £3m cuts to the staffing budget and making up to 44 roles redundant. Please send messages of solidarity to the branch.

Update, 20 October 2023: UCU members at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) began the first of six days of strikes on Tuesday 17 October. The strike is over £4 million cuts the university is making, including £3 million from the staffing budget meaning that up to 44 roles are being made redundant. In the ballot approving strike action, turnout was 86% with 77% of UCU members backing going on strike to defend jobs and oppose cuts. Please send messages of solidarity to the branch.

Update, 27 October 2023: UCU members at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) are taking six days of strike action over £4 million cuts the university is making, including £3 million from the staffing budget. The next strike days are Tuesday 31 October, Wednesday 1 November and Thursday 2 November.

You can support UHI colleagues by donating to their fighting fund (details below), and by sending messages of support to the branch. Officers from UHI UCU branch are available to speak at branch meetings, please email the UCU Scotland office to be put in touch. You can also follow the branch latest updates here, and sign their petition here. 

For donations to UHI fighting fund:

• account name: UCU UHI Millennium Inst SC019
• account number: 20240808
• sort code: 60-83-01

Update, 14 February 2024: On 14 February, UCU and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) signed a trade union recognition and procedural agreement establishing arrangements for information, consultation, and negotiation on employment matters. Congratulations to UHI UCU branch and colleagues in UCU Scotland for their hard work. You can read the full joint press release here.

University of Huddersfield: job cuts

UCU vows to fight University of Huddersfield job cuts. Nearly 200 jobs are under threat at the University of Huddersfield as reported in BBC News in April 2024. 

University of Huddersfield UCU chair Dr Gary Allen told the BBC the cuts amounted to one in ten staff losing their jobs and said 'cuts of this scale would have a devastating impact on staff, students and the local community'. He also said the university of spending 'tens of millions of pounds' on two new buildings and said 'the university has money in the bank and does not need to make such brutal cuts. If it refuses to see sense, we will fight this wanton destruction'.

University of Hull: job cuts

An industrial action ballot over job cuts will open at University of Hull on Monday 2 September 2024 and close on Friday 27 September 2024.

In August 2024, management at University of Hull launched the formal consultation to make up to 127 staff compulsory redundant on statutory redundancy terms by 9 December 2024. Nearly 96 of affected employees could be academic staff. The latest round of cuts comes after the closure of a voluntary severance scheme in May 2024 that led to 107 employees already leaving the university.

Update, 30 September 2024: University of Hull UCU's industrial action ballot closed on Friday 27 September 2024. On a turnout of 55.06%, 78.92% voted 'Yes' to strike action and 83.86% voted 'Yes' to action short of a strike (ASOS).

University of Kent: job cuts and workload

The University of Kent announced recently that there are likely to be up to 58 academic redundancies. This is on top of year on year cuts that have seen a dramatic decline in staffing. The current situation is entirely of the employer's own making: there is no reason, other than management failings, that Kent find themselves in this mess. UCU are determined to fight this academic vandalism and defend the university; show your support and sign this petition.

Update, 23 February 2024: an industrial action ballot opened on Friday 23 February and will close on Friday 5 April.

Update, 5 April 2024: University of Kent UCU members have backed strike action in defence of jobs. The result comes as the person in charge of the cuts, vice-chancellor Karen Cox, announces she will step down in May 2024, before they are even implemented. An overwhelming 85% of UCU members who voted said 'Yes' to strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 57%. The vote comes after 58 staff were placed at risk of redundancy as part of a programme that would see courses closed across the university. Courses set to go include art history, music and audio technology, philosophy, religious studies, anthropology, health and social care, and journalism. A petition to save the courses has now reached over 16k signatures. Management also wants to slash the amount of time staff have allocated to research from 40% to as little as 20%.

Update, 29 August 2024: an industrial action ballot will open on Monday 2 September and will close on Friday 4 October. University of Kent UCU is in dispute with the employer over two things: the employer's failure to rule out any processes that could lead to the compulsory redundancy of staff within the UCU bargaining group before 31 December 2025; and the employer's failure to provide guarantees that no one within the UCU bargaining group will suffer detriment to their workload in the years 2024 and 2025.

Update, 4 October 2024: University of Kent UCU's industrial action ballot closed on Friday 4 October 2024. On a turnout of 52.3%, 81.3% voted 'Yes' to strike action and 90.2% voted 'Yes' to action short of a strike (ASOS).

University of Lincoln: job cuts

Staff at the University of Lincoln are poised to take a stand against brutal cuts. A consultation over potential strike action is set to begin on Monday 22 April 2024.

The looming threat targets over 220 University of Lincoln employees, including one in ten academic staff. Cuts include the phasing out of the fashion degree and ending specialist support for widening participation students in the foundation studies centre. The centre's teaching team have been notified their jobs are at risk.

Despite the most recent accounts showing that in 2022/23 the university ran a £3m operating surplus and had £46m in cash reserves, a directive was issued last week, underscoring the necessity to slash the budget by £30m the end of the 2025 financial year. Some cuts have already been made with modern languages provision being shut down and eight staff losing their jobs. The severity of these new cuts has ignited opposition among university staff.

In a defiant response to management's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies, over 150 staff attended an emergency University of Lincoln UCU branch meeting and voiced their opposition to the proposals.

Update, 17 May 2024: a strike ballot opened on Tuesday 14 May and will close on Tuesday 4 June; University of Lincoln management is targeting over 220 employees, including one in ten academic staff.

Update, 6 June 2024: UCU has announced that members at the University of Lincoln have voted to take industrial action over drastic cuts to over 200 jobs. 80% of members who voted supported industrial action, on a turnout of 55%. Dates for strikes will be announced in due course, but may be as soon as next month which could impact clearing and open days.

Update, 28 June 2024: University of Lincoln UCU members voted to suspend strike action for July and August 2024 after the university's vice-chancellor confirmed that there would be no compulsory redundancies. The mandate for industrial action continues to be live.

London South Bank University: job cuts

London South Bank University is consulting on cuts of 297 jobs including 126 academics and 100 hourly-paid lecturers/sessional workers. It is also proposing a major re-organisation at the same time by combining eight schools into three colleges. In May 2024, UCU has put out the following statement in response to recent events:

UCU has looked at the proposal to cut 297 jobs and is concerned that the university seems to be dumbing down on the service it provides to students by trying to sack its more experienced workforce. The real reason for this proposal is not because the university needs less people to do work of a particular kind but because it wants to get rid of older and more highly paid academics. UCU is also concerned that professors and associate professors are being targeted, not only for redundancy but also by being asked to have so-called 'protected conversations' that are clearly aimed at ending their employment. No equality impact assessment has been provided but it is reasonable to assume that those targeted are likely to be part of the older workforce and, as such, this raises issues about whether there might be claims under the Equality Act for age discrimination. If this is the case, such conversations will lose their protected status. UCU is also concerned that several branch officials have been under attack recently and that the principal reason for their dismissals may be related to their trade union activities. This all comes on the back of a further assault on terms and conditions including the imposition of an 'Overtime and on-call policy' unilaterally; a proposal to reduce the contractual research allowance for those who do not meet specific research objectives for their grade; a proposal to increase the working week from the current 35-hour limit and a proposal to remove the mandatory cap of 550 hours of Scheduled Teaching Activity per annum. UCU will be supporting members individually and collectively and will back the committee if it decides not to attend any sub-JNCC or JNCC.   

Middlesex University: 'accelerated change programme'

Middlesex UCU members have held an indicative ballot with a majority in favour of taking industrial action in relation to the university's so-called 'accelerated change programme' (ACP).

The background is the university management's failure to consult with the unions before it began implementing significant structural changes to the institution including teaching activities, and the fact the university has refused to commit to no redundancies.

Update, 19 June 2024: Middlesex University has announced that a further 181 people are at risk of being made redundant. This follows the reduction of teaching disciplines last November where 23 posts were at risk. Debbie Driscoll, UCU regional support official (London HE), said: 'The university has shown a blatant disregard for their obligations to consult UCU about these restructures. We are very concerned about what looks like the targeting of the older and more experienced workforce and the sidelining of the unions in the so-called "consultation process". We would urge the university to rethink this proposal and talk to UCU about avoiding redundancies wherever possible'.

Open University: job cuts

In March 2024, 35 professional services and support staff have been placed at risk of redundancy, with frontline student-facing roles particularly affected. A further voluntary severance scheme has been opened to all teaching-only staff, affecting around 50% of OU employees. UCU demands the removal of the threat that compulsory redundancies will be issued if voluntary schemes do not meet management's targets.

Update, 20 September 2024: OU has begun a collective consultation on proposals to fire and rehire a group of OU associate lecturers if they do not 'agree' to have their working hours and pay reduced. Those fired and rehired would have the pay cut over a year earlier than those who 'agree', and would also lose out on compensation payments. This outrageous treatment of academics is risking OU's unique social mission, and we must not allow HE to normalise use of this discredited business practice. Please support OU associate lecturers by signing this petition.

Oxford Brookes University: defending jobs

Oxford Brookes University has announced plans to reduce academic staff numbers in humanities and social sciences and technology, design and the environment leaving 48 jobs at risk of compulsory redundancy.

UCU reps have challenged the need to make the proposed £2 million savings given the apparent positive financial situation of the university and concerns have also been raised about lack of meaningful consultation with the union and affected staff. 

• please send messages of support and follow the branch on Twitter/X
• read and share UCU's open letter here and sign our petition to save jobs at Oxford Brookes University.

Update, 9 February 2024: in November 2023 management at Oxford Brookes University declared 48 jobs 'at risk' with 20 needing to be cut. Our campaigning, negotiating and balloting have reduced the number of compulsory redundancies to two. UCU still intend to reduce that number to zero. Please read and share UCU's open letter here and sign our petition to save jobs at Oxford Brookes University.

Update, 8 March 2024: the ongoing campaign against jobs cuts and restructuring at Oxford Brookes is entering a new phase. UCU reps are setting up a 'Save research at Brookes' committee and demanding a new redundancy avoidance policy. Students have been central to UCU's campaign, for which we thank them. For more information, or to send messages of support please contact Oxford Brookes UCU branch chair.

Update, 11 March 2024: click here for the latest update from Oxford Brookes UCU branch.

University of Portsmouth: job cuts and pensions

On 27 March 2024, UCU confirmed strike action could be on the cards at the University of Portsmouth, as the union starts a consultation of its members. 398 academic staff are to be put at risk of redundancy, as part of University of Portsmouth's 'academic reset' programme that management says is necessary due to recruitment challenges and increased costs.

UCU has challenged the rationale for the redundancies and says that far from being in financial trouble, University of Portsmouth has almost £329m in the bank and is planning to spend £250m on buildings. One of the stated aims of the 'academic reset' is to improve student experience, but UCU believes the proposed cuts will narrow course and module options, endanger the professional accreditation of certain degrees, and reduce lecturers' capacity for teaching and support. University of Portsmouth is seeking to restructure so that there are fewer academic staff per student on its courses.

Update, 19 April 2024: UCU has raised concerns about the failure of University of Portsmouth to disclose legally required information in the current redundancy consultation that could put as many as 398 academic staff at risk. UCU also criticised the vice-chancellor for enjoying another bumper pay rise as the university prepares to make savage job cuts. The branch has consulted members, with overwhelming support in favour of resisting cuts to jobs. Portsmouth UCU will be meeting to consider further action.

Update, 17 May 2024: Portsmouth UCU has launched a formal trade dispute with the university as the branch continues its campaign against compulsory redundancies (163 academic staff at risk). This follows a vote which saw 94% of members stating no confidence in the vice-chancellor.

Update, 1 June 2024: In its ongoing campaign to defend job and education at the university, Portsmouth UCU has launched an online petition asking for the withdrawal of compulsory redundancies. Please show your support by signing the petition here.

Update, 23 July 2024: From 1 August 2024, Portsmouth intends to employ all new staff through a wholly owned subsidiary company that will deny them access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), enrolling them on a drastically inferior defined contribution scheme instead. The punitive pension change comes just months after the university put almost 600 (597) staff at risk of redundancy. UCU said that the university is trying to create a 'two-tier' workforce and that it will enter into a trade dispute over the issue, laying the ground for a potential strike ballot.

Ravensbourne University London: attack on trade unions

Following over twelve months of discussion between UCU and the employer, in November last year, UCU applied (with UNISON) for voluntary recognition at Ravensbourne University London. Ravensbourne responded by offering to negotiate, an offer which was accepted, and an initial negotiation meeting was scheduled for 10 January 2024. On 5 January, vice-chancellor Andy Cook pre-empted that negotiation and announced an independent ballot of all staff 'to gauge the level of support for formal trade union recognition' and 'to gauge the level of support to establish a Representative Staff Forum as an alternative to formal trade union recognition'.

Deborah Driscoll, UCU regional support official (London HE), said: 'after months of stalling and telling us that they wanted to work with UCU, it seems that Ravensbourne's management have finally shown their true colours. It has now become apparent that the VC does not want to recognise independent trade unions and would prefer a toothless and ineffective "Representative Staff Forum" instead. Two petitions have shown overwhelming support for the application for recognition of UCU at Ravensbourne and we are ready to continue to make the case to the staff if there is a ballot. We are currently waiting for the university's proposals in writing before agreeing anything as we need to ensure that any vote would be genuinely free and fair. UCU are very alert to any hint of unfair practices by the university and would urge staff to get in contact with their local UCU branch if they have any concerns. The university has agreed not to put out any further communications to staff about firm ballot arrangements for the time being.'

Update, 26 January 2024: UCU members at Ravensbourne University are campaigning for trade union recognition following management proposals to establish an alternative 'representative staff forum'. Staff are to be balloted on the two options by the university with provisional ballot dates of 4-17 March. UCU is arguing for formal recognition which would provide an agreed negotiating framework and give staff a voice to influence key decisions at Ravensbourne whereas the proposed management-controlled forum doesn't come with the same rights and obligations. Find out more about this important campaign by clicking here and support our demand for a seat at the decision-making table by following the branch on Instagram here.

Update, 9 February 2024: Ravensbourne University London's ballot of staff on whether to have a 'staff forum' instead of independent trade union recognition is being exposed for vote-rigging. The employer is refusing to have a vote purely on whether staff want UCU to be recognised, is demanding a high turnout rather than a simple majority of those voting, and is insisting that UCU will not have access to staff to talk about the ballot unless it agrees to be 'locked out' of statutory recognition rights for three years. If you work at Ravensbourne, help us fight back against this union busting by voting for trade union recognition. You can also send messages of solidarity to the Ravensbourne UCU branch.

Sheffield Hallam University: job cuts

A strike ballot has opened on Monday 15 April 2024 and will close on Wednesday 22 May 2024 at Sheffield Hallam University. 

UCU has accused the university of pushing ahead with expensive building projects while launching a wholesale attack on staff and students through an unprecedented cuts programme, severely breaching the post-92 contract and national framework, and attacking on working conditions.

The university has said 225 academic jobs will be axed, with up to 80 staff facing compulsory redundancy. Around 140 senior experienced academics have already left following the opening of a voluntary severance scheme in December 2023 and the university is now ploughing ahead with further compulsory job losses. 

Cuts come alongside unprecedented breaches of the post-92 national contract that will severely impact research and teaching. The university intends to completely remove the (grade 9) principal lecturer role, force line management responsibilities onto (grade 8) lecturers and create a new teaching (grade 6) 'academic tutor' role.

Update, 3 June 2024: Sheffield Hallam UCU members voted to support strike action (87%) following a successful industrial ballot that closed in May 2024 (turnout 53%). Dates for strike action will be announced in due course.

Update, 9 August 2024: UCU members at Sheffield Hallam University will strike from Monday 23 September 2024 until Thursday 26 September 2024.

Update, 20 September 2024: Strike action planned for 23-26 September has been suspended in the light of an improved offer from SHU's executive board. SHU UCU members will be voting on whether to accept or reject the offer. Click here for the latest news on SHU's dispute.

University of Sunderland: threat of redundancies

University of Sunderland has threatened to sack 76 staff, including more than one in 10 academics. The cuts also impact professional services staff. Management intends to force some staff out as soon as Friday 1 November, meaning they would be unemployed going into the Christmas break. This is the second formal notification of redundancies in under six months. In neither this, nor the previous notification, were any management jobs put at risk.

The announcement comes a few months after the university admitted it would shut down the national glass centre, despite a big campaign to save the important regional arts institution. UCU will fight the jobs cuts, which threaten to damage student provision and tarnish the university's reputation.

Update, 8 October 2024: a meeting took place involving representatives from the University of Sunderland, UCU and UNISON. There was continuing agreement on the need to work together, wherever possible, to avoid compulsory redundancies. The university explained how non-staff savings were also being looked at, and the trade unions agreed to consider proposals to put to the Executive as part of the continuing consultation. Further regular meetings are being scheduled.

University of Surrey: job cuts

Up to 140 jobs could be lost at the University of Surrey: an open letter from UCU to Surrey's vice-chancellor said members and the wider community were extremely concerned by plans set out in an all-staff meeting in March 2024. Proposals were set out for voluntary redundancies, the sale of university assets and other cost cutting exercises.

Michael Moran, UCU regional official (South East), told BBC Radio Surrey: 'At the moment all we know is that the management have announced they need to save money by cutting staff'. He added that the 'real concern' was the university's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancy and that voluntary redundancies may be 'just the start'.

Update, 26 April 2024: University of Surrey has announced 45 professional services and academic staff are at risk of redundancy. This comes on top of 130 staff taking voluntary severance over Easter. The vice-chancellor Max Lu, and his team of highly paid managers including the Provost Tim Dunne, are running this proud institution into the ground. Vanity projects appear more valuable than educators to the people at the top.

UCU calls on the employer to stop and rethink the current strategy, pause all redundancy plans and offer UCU a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies. UCU regional official (South East) Michael Moran said: 'It's not too late to halt these disastrous plans and engage fully, openly and honestly with UCU. No more drip feeding of information and failure to adequately engage. Members are angry and are ready to respond. We will provide an update on the next course of action very soon'.

Update, 23 May 2024: In a ballot organised by UCU and campus unions, staff and students at the University of Surrey have overwhelmingly voted (97%) that they have no confidence in the vice-chancellor, provost and executive board. This is the second vote of no confidence against the vice-chancellor since he joined the University of Surrey in 2016, and the first against the provost in his relatively short tenure. The vote was initiated because of a threat of large scale job losses. Most job losses have been as a result of voluntary severance, with many believing they had little choice but to apply and there are still a small number of colleagues facing the prospect of compulsory redundancy. UCU regional official (South East) Michael Moran said: 'It is little surprise that staff confidence is at an all-time low given the cuts that Surrey are implementing. We believe there is no business or educational case for further cuts and ask that the VC and provost rule out any future plans for redundancies and that management listen to staff concerns and commit to building a better university rather than sacking staff. We fear these cuts are the thin end of the wedge and, unless urgent action is taken now, Surrey staff and students will suffer in the future'.

University of Winchester: job cuts

UCU confirmed strike action could be on the cards at the University of Winchester after its members voted to consult over taking industrial action.

Staff have been put at risk of redundancy in changes that would see the university close its English language programme; institute for climate and social justice; centre for religion, reconciliation and peace; and managed housing, and see cuts to psychology, acting and apprenticeships. The university claims it needs to make the cuts due to a £6m structural deficit. There are 40 jobs planned to go in the current phase, with fears of further job cuts pending. UCU said staff and students must not pay the price for leadership's financial mismanagement. The union will now lodge a formal dispute with the university and a strike ballot could open later in March 2024. 

Update, 26 April 2024: a ballot for formal industrial action has opened on Tuesday 23 April and will close on Tuesday 14 May. The dispute is over proposed job cuts of up to 40 jobs and detrimental changes to the workload allocation model. The loss of jobs and potential closure of high-profile units will have devastating consequences for both staff and students.

Update, 17 May 2024: Winchester UCU members voted to support strike action (79%) and action short of a strike (93%) following a successful industrial ballot that closed earlier this week (turnout 59%). The branch is considering the next steps in the fight to protect jobs and for a fair workload model.

Update, 21 May 2024: UCU announced that University of Winchester staff will strike on Tuesday 4 June over drastic job cuts, unless the university halts plans to get rid of staff and impose excessive workloads. Action short of strike (ASOS) will begin on Wednesday 5 June and includes working to contract and refusing to cover for absent colleagues. The dispute is over plans to cut around 40 academic staff, and unfavourable changes to workloads which the union fears will lead to unhealthy and unmanageable working hours.

Update, 3 June 2024: University of Winchester staff will strike on Tuesday 4 June 2024 over brutal job cuts. Staff will be picketing the university from 8am tomorrow morning. They will then begin action short of strike on Wednesday (5 June), including working to rule and refusing to cover for absent colleagues.