Staff at Lancaster University have begun to take action over plans that could see hundreds of job cuts at the institution.
Lecturers in the University & Colleges Union are starting industrial 'action short of a strike' from today, Monday, November 10, over the university considering cutting more than 400 jobs including 200 academic staff.
Lecturers will ‘work-to-rule’, refusing to cover absent colleagues or undertake any work outside of their job descriptions.
The action could continue for six months and UCU is also considering going out on strike before Christmas unless compulsory redundancies are ruled-out.
No final decisions have been made by the university.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "It is completely unacceptable to embark upon such a destructive programme of cuts, all while directing money to vanity projects abroad.
"Management must now open the books, tell us how many millions it has earmarked for a new campus halfway around the world, and work with us to protect jobs and student provision here in Lancaster.
"If the university refuses to do so, our members will have no choice but to escalate to strike action before Christmas."
Lancaster University employs the full-time equivalent of 1,300 academic staff and 1,700 professional services staff.
Read more: Lancaster University staff speak out on plans to slash hundreds of jobs
A spokesperson for Lancaster University told Beyond Radio: ‘’We have a proud record of excellence in both teaching and research, however we have not been immune to sector-wide financial pressures including increased operating costs and declining international student numbers.
‘’We have achieved significant savings on non-payroll and through a voluntary severance scheme this year, but unfortunately our financial projections show that payroll savings of about £30M are required over the next academic year to ensure our ongoing financial sustainability.
‘’The University Executive Board has proposed a plan to ensure our future size and shape is sustainable, while also enabling the University to continue to thrive.
‘’We are not planning to reduce payroll costs through the closure of academic departments, and proposed savings have been identified to achieve strategic efficiencies which will be shared across all academic departments and professional services.
‘’Our preference has always been to achieve these changes through voluntary means wherever possible, however we can’t rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies as a last resort.
‘’Lancaster has built a strong reputation for academic excellence and has an impressive track record for student employability. We are in a better financial position than some other universities which has bought us time to work through strategic options, which will ensure that research and the student experience is prioritised and protected.
‘’We recognise this is a worrying time for our community and the University has support in place for those who have concerns.’’
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