Staff at the University of Nottingham are set to go on strike for two months and begin a marking boycott in a dramatic escalation of their campaign against planned job cuts at the institution.
Nottingham has announced a major transformation plan that will see it shed 608 jobs, with 2,700 staff put at risk, on top of 350 roles cut from the institution last year – one of the most severe restructures in the sector during its current financial crisis.
The university has indicated that without such cuts, it would run out of money by 2031, and comes after it reported an £85 million deficit in its most recent financial accounts.
On 20 May the university’s UCU branch said it will take 61 days of strike action from Monday 1 June to Friday 31 July, on top of a pre-scheduled strike day in May.
The union has also begun a marking and assessment boycott, which will see its members refuse to carry out all assessment duties, potentially delaying student graduations planned for this summer.
Lopa Leach, branch president, said it was “terribly sad” the union has been forced into this position, “but management’s unwillingness to change its destructive course leaves us with no alternative. We fight for staff jobs, student learning conditions and the very survival of the university as we know it.”
In a recent interview with Times Higher Education, Nottingham’s vice-chancellor, Jane Norman, said while the scale of cuts was “not easy” but she maintained that the transformation was “exciting” for the university, and a “huge opportunity”.
The university was contacted for further comment.
Register to continue
Why register?
- Registration is free and only takes a moment
- Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
- Sign up for our newsletter
Subscribe
Or subscribe for unlimited access to:
- Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
- Digital editions
- Digital access to THE’s university and college rankings analysis
Already registered or a current subscriber?
