Edinburgh marking boycott called as more universities face strikes

A fresh wave of industrial action is set to hit several UK universities amid increasingly bitter rows over job cuts and pension changes.

Strikes have been called at the University of Essex and Southampton Solent University while the University of Edinburgh faces a marking boycott, beginning next month.

Other institutions facing disruption in the weeks ahead include Sheffield Hallam, Durham and Northumbria universities as well as Goldsmiths, University of London.

At Edinburgh, the boycott, due to begin on 1 May, will impact the summer exam season. It is part of the ongoing University and College Union (UCU) dispute over the university’s plans to cut £140 million from its budget.

The union has called on the university to “meaningfully engage” over the plans and remove the threat of compulsory redundancies long term. 

Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor at Edinburgh, said the university was “profoundly disappointed, disheartened and frustrated” that UCU members had voted in favour of staging the boycott.

“Students will understandably have very real concerns about the disruption this boycott will cause, given that for some this may impact receiving awards or outcomes on progression. We will take all practical steps to keep exams and coursework submissions on track to support our students’ ability to progress and graduate.”

Mathieson added that the university believes the announcement is “completely unjustifiable and will add unnecessary strain on our students during an already challenging and important time”. 

Meanwhile, union members at Southampton Solent will undertake five days of strike action starting 30 April because of a dispute over pensions.

The strike comes after the university emailed its 357 academic staff, who are members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, warning them that it is looking to employ them through a subsidiary company from July, which would see them moved on to a less generous pension.

Stephen Desmond, UCU branch president at Solent, said the university had “left us no choice but to take sustained strike action as we fight to save our dignity in retirement”. 

“It is short-sighted for management to gut staff pensions, rather than focus on creative ways to grow the university. The vice-chancellor must think again. Staff have constantly delivered for Solent, ensuring it is one of the best places in the UK to study. It is time for management to start respecting and valuing staff.”

A Southampton Solent spokesperson said that “rising contribution rates have created a significant imbalance between institutions in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and those universities in other schemes”, which was “placing real and growing financial strain on universities like Solent”.

The alternative “Solent Pension Plan” was “competitive”, they stressed, but “no final decisions have been made”.

“We are committed to an open, transparent consultation process and will continue to engage closely with colleagues throughout.” 

The UCU branch at the University of Essex has also extended its strike action by a day, and will hold a rally on 25 April in protest against the university’s plans to close its Southend campus. The news comes a week after staff voted in favour of a motion of no confidence in Essex’s vice-chancellor, Frances Bowen. The union is now calling for her to resign.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “University of Essex staff and students are not backing down, and our escalating action is supported by the local community. It is clear the senior leadership team has failed to protect the institution. 

“We now need new leaders and a change of direction so we can begin working with management to resolve this dispute and protect the future of the university and the communities it serves.”

A university spokesperson said it is taking “decisive steps” towards creating a “sustainable future“ by reducing its staff count to more closely reflect its lower student population.

“Bringing our teaching, research and student services on to fewer sites – at our campuses in Colchester and Loughton – will give our university a consolidated platform for the future.

“We are focusing on our strengths and delivering a student experience across the whole university that matches the investment students are making in their own future.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com