UCU members at Northumbria University today announced they have declared an industrial dispute over the refusal of senior management to rule out compulsory redundancies as part of a planned £12.5 million reduction in 'staff costs.'
Earlier this week, Vice Chancellor Andy Long wrote to staff telling them that cuts would be necessary 'in order to ensure we are able to meet our shared strategic ambitions and remain competitive in an increasingly challenging sector.'
The UCU branch at the university, after overwhelmingly declaring a dispute at an all-member meeting yesterday, said staff shouldn't have to suffer for the mistakes of senior management. They added that industrial action is inevitable unless management backs down and negotiates seriously.
The university has indicated that they will push through huge reductions in spending on staff, and have failed to rule out compulsory redundancies, even while insisting that the institution's 'underlying financial position remains very strong.'
