Nottingham university workers begin four-week strike

Strikers at Nottingham university

Workers at the University of Nottingham began four weeks of strikes on Monday against devastating job cuts.

In April this year the vice chancellor threatened almost 4,000 administrative workers with redundancy. Hundreds have already left through voluntary redundancy.

Striker Amy Hoddinott told Socialist Worker, “They got enough job cuts through voluntary redundancy—but they are still trying to cut the jobs of 200 people. I’m one of those people.”

Now bosses are embarking on phase 2 of their cuts plan, which threatens academics and technical workers.

The UCU union members say the cuts are unnecessary and are asking the university to commit not to making compulsory redundancies. Like many UCU branches, they have put forward alternative proposals that don’t involve attacking workers and students, but bosses are not budging.

It is one of many universities around the country facing cuts that will end careers, harm students and drive up workloads for the remaining workers if they go ahead. University bosses want to invest in courses that they think will attract students, while cutting back on teaching in subjects such as arts and modern languages—and on subjects like chemistry, which needs expensive lab equipment.

UCU branch president Lopa Leach told Socialist Worker, “The higher education system is in trouble because of the marketisation. Students are seen as income generators rather than an attitude that they are here to learn.”

“It’s ideological,” she said. “They don’t need to do this.”

Striker Emily agreed. “I haven’t seen any good reason for compulsory redundancies. I haven’t seen a business case that cutting staff—cutting the people with experience—leads to better education.”

She added that university workers don’t take action lightly. “It takes a lot for academics to strike, to impact students”, she said.

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Student Mohamed was there to support the strike. He told Socialist Worker, “You’ve got to stand up for the workers. The same oppression I face as a student is the oppression they face.”

He said, “The University of Nottingham has dropped in the ratings the last couple of years. There are 400 people in my year and nowhere near enough staff. They don’t have time. The students definitely feel the effect. Cutting staff even more is diabolical.”

The university recently invested £83 million in buying and developing Castle Meadow Campus to create a new city centre business school. But it has now been forced to lease out part of the campus. The UCU has also pointed out that Nottingham is also shelling out consultancy firms like “Strive Higher” at massive cost.

The university expects to make a surplus this year. But it is aiming for an even higher 5 percent surplus by cutting back the workforce. This means it can invest its funds in buildings, but as the student experience gets worse, and students go elsewhere, this will drive down income from tuition fees.

Members of the Unison union at the university had also planned strikes over threatened job cuts from Monday to Wednesday. But they called off their action the previous week. Unison said they received an offer that is worth putting to members.

UCU striker Amy said she was happy about the offer to Unison but that “it’s unfair that it is not extended to UCU members as well.”

Next week UCU members at the University of Leicester are set to strike over job cuts. At Bradford, strikes planned for Monday and Tuesday this week have been postponed. They are set to go ahead from Wednesday unless bosses come forward with an offer that workers can accept.

The experience of Newcastle and Dundee universities last year shows that workers can fight off the threat of redundancies. UCU members will need to win support from students and other workers and engage the local media and politicians.

A campaign that combines militant strikes with a political strategy to defend the university can win.