Sussex staff vote for strike action over job cuts

Union members at the University of Sussex have backed strike action over the institution’s plans to make hundreds of job cuts.

Sussex announced earlier this year it intends to cut 200 jobs to save £35 million, which unions said will add to the strain at an institution that has already cut 500 staff in the past year through a voluntary redundancy scheme.

In a ballot of University and College Union (UCU) members, 81 per cent have voted in favour of strike action on a turnout of 70 per cent. 

The union has put forward proposals to protect jobs, including allowing staff to volunteer to go part-time and bringing down the pay of senior management. 

Jo Pawlik, Sussex UCU branch president, said that the strong support for strike action showed staff will “fight to protect our jobs and our student provision”. 

“We hope management now carefully considers the alternative options our members have put forward before pushing ahead with unpopular cuts that would force us onto the picket line.”

Sussex’s vice-chancellor, Sasha Roseneil, defended the cuts, explaining that, “like many higher education institutions”, the university is facing “financial challenges due to sector wide pressures arising from the long-term underfunding of higher education and research, high inflation, and a steep fall in international student numbers driven by government policy”.

While the university has “made significant savings” in recent years by reducing non‑pay expenditure, “unfortunately, we still have to secure further savings”, Roseneil added. 

“We are in the process of considering the feedback we received from staff during our recent extended collective consultation, with decisions expected to be made in the autumn. We are committed to working with UCU – whose membership represents just under 25 per cent of the staff body – as well as our other recognised trades unions to find savings through voluntary means wherever possible.

“We remain committed to minimising the impact of any savings on our students and we will continue to give our students a rich, inspirational, and high-quality education.” 

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com