Members of the UCU initially announced they were walking out for 14 days in April after Newcastle University stated it was attempting to cut £20 million from its salary bill, a figure equivalent to a loss of approximately 300 jobs. Planned strike action was later extended throughout the months of May and June until a final agreement was reached between the UCU and Newcastle University to end industrial action on June 27.
Save jobs and protect student provision or you will face sustained disruption
This agreement followed assurances from Newcastle University that no further job losses would occur until next year. This itself came after over 250 staff members were accepted by the University Voluntary Severance Scheme - terminating their employment contracts with Newcastle University.
Compensation was paid out to students based on the amount of their modules that were affected by strike action. UK-fee paying students were able to claim £100 for every affected module, up to a maximum of £600. International fee-paying students were able to claim £200 for every affected module, up to a maximum of £1200. A Newcastle University spokesperson stated: “Funds that were saved from unpaid salaries due to industrial action were redirected towards the compensation scheme”.
In an interview with the BBC, students Anna Nix and Amala Parry discussed the effects industrial action had on their learning. Anna explained, “I was in my third year, I was writing my dissertation, so there was a lot of uncertainty”. Amala added, “It was the final semester of my third year, it did have an impact”. Anna and Amala both received £200 in compensation for impacted modules.
"There was a lot of uncertainty"
UCU general secretary Jo Grady responded to Newcastle University’s industrial action and subsequent compensation scheme by stating: “Every senior university manager from across the UK now needs to look at what our members have achieved in Newcastle and heed the warning: work with us to save jobs and protect student provision or you will face sustained disruption”.
Dr Loes Veldpaus, secretary for Newcastle University UCU, said that it would be “interesting to see” how other institutions across the country respond to the awarding of the significant sum.