University of East Anglia to strike for nine days

Yesterday (1 May), University of East Anglia employees began nine days of strikes over the threat of mandatory redundancies, and lack of transparency in financial matters.

The University and College Union said that the walkouts came after months of negotiation in which UEA refused to rule out mandatory redundancies despite hundreds of employees already leaving by voluntary means, redeployment, or resignation. Around 30 people are still at risk. This is equivalent to less than 10 full-time positions, or less than 0.25 percent of the overall university budget.

UCU claimed that university management rejected their proposals for alternative financial measures, which they said would have saved them more than three-times the remaining costs of staffing.

In March, a strike was held to protest the University’s plan to reduce 170 full-time jobs in order to save PS11m.

The UEA branch has more than 900 UCU Members who work in all areas of academics.

Jo Grady, UCU’s general secretary, said: “It’s outrageous that UEA continues to force compulsory redundancies despite the fact that so many employees have already left. Alternatives have also been offered.”

The staff at UEA have gone beyond the call of duty to save money and protect students. It is time for management do the right thing. Drop the threats. Engage meaningfully. And commit to real accountability.

The union called on the executive team of the university to “enter meaningful dialogue about the future of the institution” and remove the threat of mandatory redundancies.

UEA stated that although they regretted the industrial action, their priority was to ensure the learning experience of students is protected during the action period.

The university said it would continue to work on its research, support students, and collaborate with staff in order to “deliver necessary savings” that will ensure the long-term viability of the institution.

In February, 86% UCU members who voted at the University voted for a strike. The latest strike dates for UEA include 2, 6-7, 9, and 13-16 may.

The UCU issued a warning in March that as many as 10,000 university positions could be lost due to the “unprecedented” crisis facing higher education in Britain.