The Newcastle University branch of UCU have announced that there will be three additional days of industrial action in May and June, following 14 discontinuous strike days already taken in March.
While the university has tried to address its £35M shortfall by employing voluntary severance schemes, they have been unable to guarantee that compulsory job losses won't take place, leading to a continuation in the strikes.
"Compulsory redundancies will always be a last resort, and we are committed to working constructively with our unions to explore all possible alternatives," a spokesperson from the university said.
"Our priority is to support our colleagues through this challenging period while working towards a more sustainable future for our university."
An internal university email previously revealed that the Russell Group institution had found £15M in mitigations, but with a further £20M needing to be identified, a variety of measures have been implemented, such as tighter controls on recruitment, restricting travel budgets, voluntary severance schemes, and promotion freezes, to name a few.
In response, 83% of UCU's Newcastle University branch members voted to take up strike action, with 88% stating they were willing to take action short of a strike in February. Since then, 14 discontinuous strike days have taken place in March in protest of the cuts, with the £20M target equating to almost 300 jobs.
A national decline in the number of international students has been cited as a key cause for the economic burden currently facing Newcastle University, as it has been for universities across the country.
As well as staff, students have been significantly affected by the strikes and the wider implications of job losses and course closures for their studies. Nonetheless, students are showing solidarity and support in being an active part of the conversation.