UCU fighting new wave of redundancies

In recent weeks UCU has become aware of growing threats of redundancies across higher education with universities including Roehampton, De Montfort, and Wolverhampton all now announcing attacks on UCU members' jobs. Our union is clear that this latest wave of job cuts is an assault on education and one that leaves staff, already working under intolerable levels of stress, now facing the sack or being left to pick up the workload.

UCU are committed to defending jobs and resisting these cuts and we're holding urgent meetings this week with local reps and members at the institutions affected to make sure that our response is as united as the employers' assault.

Unfortunately these are unlikely to be the last redundancy announcements this year so UCU needs to make sure we are prepared to resist cuts wherever they're threatened. Many of us are exhausted from ongoing fights over pay, conditions and pensions and that's before we even mention the day jobs! However it's through mutual support, planning together and sharing our experiences of struggle that we will defeat this latest wave of attacks. During the pandemic UCU has stopped redundancies at several institutions including Liverpool, Heriot Watt and Kent. Chester UCU fought off plans to sack 86 staff with a fantastic result of zero compulsory redundancies, and managed to build their membership and branch organisation in the process. Here's how you can help at your institution:

• report any plans or discussion regarding cuts to jobs or courses to your UCU regional office
• make sure your branch is prepared by using our digital 'defending jobs toolkit'
• send solidarity and publicise local fightbacks.

The latest wave of redundancies is not about financial need: this is the grim reality of marketisation in higher education for staff and students. Please stand together with your union and help defend jobs and education.

In solidarity

Jo Grady
UCU general secretary