University of Nottingham (UCU) Strike Calendar
Strike Type: Education
Latest University of Nottingham Industrial Action Updates (3)
Staff at the University of Nottingham will strike on 30th September and 1st October, as the university's governing Council meets to decide the final Future Nottingham Phase 2 (FN2) restructuring plans. The two-day strike will be followed by sustained strike action from 5th October to 11th December, alongside action short of strike. The action comes as both UCU and UNISON have passed votes of no confidence in University Council over its handling of FN2. Council is the university's governing body - effectively its board of trustees. It has ultimate responsibility for the University's finances and strategy and, crucially, for holding senior management to account. The unions argue that Council has failed to do so.
Council rubber stamped the draft FN2 business case despite overwhelming opposition from Senate, the University's principal academic body, and despite serious concerns about the evidence underpinning the university's disastrous proposals that could result in compulsory redundancies and the loss of entire areas of teaching and research.
UCU argues that there is now no financial justification for compulsory redundancies. Undergraduate recruitment has been strong, applications for voluntary redundancy have increased substantially, staff have submitted extensive alternative proposals capable of delivering further savings and the university itself is saying it now has a surplus.
A significant majority of Nottingham UCU members voted to accept an offer during a large meeting on Thursday, November 13th.
Consequently, scheduled strike action has been suspended.
However, action short of a strike will persist until the conclusion of December.
This continuation is related to ongoing negotiations concerning course provision.
Management has consented to participate in substantive discussions regarding alternatives to the planned closure of 48 courses.
Members accepted the offer despite having reservations and a lack of confidence in the university leadership.
They are offering an opportunity to discuss alternatives to the proposed course closures.
Discussions are commencing in good faith, with the possibility of future industrial action if genuine engagement is not observed.
The action comes after over 650 staff have already been axed over the past two years. The university's latest plans to reorganise the academic departments and push for a higher surplus could see over 200 jobs go, mainly impacting teaching and research staff.
UCU said it is saddened that students education will continue to be disrupted but the union cannot stand back and allow this to go on. Current and future students will not get the education they deserve if courses are culled and the staff who remain are overworked to the point of exhaustion. Showing its disregard for students' interests, management has so far failed to explore a negotiated path out of crisis, despite drastic strike action earlier in the year.
University of Nottingham Strike Calendar
4 Strike Dates 2 Planned
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