Strike and rally off at University of Kent as threat of compulsory job losses removed

Talks between the union and the institution resulted in the threat of compulsory job losses being removed. A planned protest organised by students in Canterbury for today has also been shelved.
 
Staff in the school of biosciences were at risk from compulsory redundancy, but now an agreement has been thrashed out that commits both the university and UCU to a redundancy avoidance agreement.
 
UCU Kent branch president, John Fitzpatrick, said: 'Industrial action is always the last resort and the talks have delivered a great result for everyone at Kent University. The support from UCU members and students right across the university was magnificent and crucial to the successful outcome.'
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We are delighted that the dispute at Kent has been resolved. This is the second dispute in as many weeks to have been resolved by talks, rather than industrial action. With ballots taking place at UCL and Westminster at the moment and strike action happening at King's College on Tuesday, we reiterate our message that we want to resolve disputes around the negotiating table, not from the picket line. Universities refusing to talk to us could learn a lot from the likes of Kent and Leeds.'
 
The union and university have issued the following joint statement:

'The university and UCU have had further constructive discussions in relation to the future of the school of biosciences and have agreed upon an acceptable resolution of the matters in issue between them. This successful conclusion to the discussions indicates a renewed spirit of constructive partnership between management and UCU, and both parties are committed to entering into a redundancy avoidance agreement for the future. As a result, the threat of compulsory redundancies has now been lifted from UCU members in biosciences, and UCU has therefore cancelled the planned ballot of its members on taking industrial action which was to commence on Friday 26 March 2010.'