Brighton University staff have vowed to strike in defense of jobs after the institution announced plans to make 100 academic staff and 30 professional services staff redundant. The University claims that it needs to make £17.9m in savings, but staff have raised questions about the University’s financial situation. They note that the University has spent over £50m on building projects in the last two years, which has left them puzzled about the purpose of these constructions if staff numbers are set to be reduced by 130.
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The University and College Union (UCU), which represents staff on academic grades, has vowed to fight these redundancies with every means at its disposal. Dr. Mark Abel, UCU Chair and Senior Lecturer, said, “This is a threat to the livelihoods of individual members of staff and a threat to the quality of education at our University. At an Emergency branch meeting this morning, our members voted unanimously to move to an industrial action ballot. Staff should not be made to pay for the failures of management.”
