Marking boycott called at London South Bank University

Union members at London South Bank University have announced that they have started a marking and assessment boycott over a planned restructure.

The boycott, which began on 13 July, coincides with the “critical” exam resit week of 20-24 July. University and College Union members will also be out on strike during this period.

Politicians last week wrote to the university raising concerns about a planned restructure, which involves many existing academics being moved into a new “teaching and scholarship” role, with only some being kept in a “teaching and research” position.

Staff have claimed that the plans will create a “two-tier workforce”, with many being employed by a subsidiary firm, meaning that they lose access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

The boycott, which is expected to hit graduations and students’ ability to resit exams, covers all marking and assessment, including in-person and online assessments. Administrative work involving the processing of marks will also be boycotted.

The union has become the latest to announce a marking and assessment boycott, with staff at Nottingham, Goldsmiths and Edinburgh having already announced such action in response to job cuts at their institutions.

The UCU has called on university management to urgently get around the negotiating table and work to resolve the dispute so that students can graduate.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the UCU, said union members have “no choice” but to take industrial action. She encouraged the university management to “pull away from the cliff edge and begin working with us to protect LSBU’s future”.

“No staff member wants to block students graduating – but allowing LSBU management to tear up nationally and locally agreed working conditions, severely degrade student learning and turn a proud institution into a shell of its current self is unthinkable,” she said.

London South Bank’s pro vice-chancellor for students and learners, Antony Moss, said that while “change is difficult”, the university is “disappointed UCU has chosen to announce a marking and assessment boycott and is asking its members to disrupt exam resits and graduations”.

“Rather than try to hurt students, we urge the union to help us address the financial challenges we face. LSBU remains open to dialogue with all of our recognised trade unions, including the UCU.”

Moss said that the university will ensure that students are able to progress to the next stage of their studies or graduate.

“We would like to reassure our students, as we are confident they will be able to take resits, have work marked and assessed and graduate as they expect and would hope.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com