This action is in response to decisions made by the University Executive Board, which have announced an additional 38 redundancies for academics.
The University, on May 8 in an email to staff previously confirmed that 257 staff members were accepted by the University Voluntary Severance Scheme (VS), which began in February. It has since been extended twice.
Despite three rounds of voluntary severance resulting in the University having saved £16.2 million, the Executive Board is still aiming to save a further £3.8 million. This shortfall comes from the total of £20 million in savings needing to be found. The shortfall followed an overestimate of international student numbers - a trend seen across the UK due to the current higher education funding model.
Due to this shortfall in voluntary departures, 153 academics have been included in pools. These 153 academics had to attend a meeting on short notice and are now being asked to consider their options around taking voluntary redundancies. The University Executive Board has not ruled out compulsory redundancies.
In conversation with The Courier, David Bates, Branch Secretary of Newcastle University UCU, said: “We are on strike to defend our colleagues’ jobs and to defend the student experience at Newcastle”.
UCU representatives argue that the planned redundancies could result in increased workloads for remaining academic staff. Departments from across the University are at risk of staff members facing redundancies as the ‘pools’ are compiled of academics within similar faculties.
An agreement has not yet been reached by the UCU branch and the University Executive Board. David Bates went on to say, “At the end of the day, it should be your very last resort to get rid of your staff”.
His sentiments are shared with the wider UCU, arguing that alternative savings could be found by reconsidering infrastructure spending.
I am so sorry for the disruption that this causes. But please understand we do not want to do this. It's not an easy thing to do.
The upcoming wave of strikes is likely to delay the marking and grading of final assessments. Potentially having a knock-on effect graduation of students. Yet some students have expressed support for the strikes. David Bates commented on the student impact, saying, “I am so sorry for the disruption that this causes. But please understand we do not want to do this. It’s not an easy thing to do”.
The current mandate for industrial action ends in August, which could see Newcastle UCU members going to another ballot to continue industrial action if an agreement with the University Executive Board is not reached. If this were to happen, then strike action could be extended into the upcoming academic year 25/26.
Newcastle University has informed students that, “We remain committed to constructive dialogue and remain hopeful that we can work together to find solutions that support both colleagues and students. The Education Continuity Group is meeting regularly, and we are doing all we can to mitigate the impact of any strike action on student experience and progression.”