FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Durham University UCU calls five strike days from 28 April if the employer does not rule out compulsory redundancies.
Durham UCU has given Durham University management until 23 April to rule out compulsory redundancies before members walk out for five consecutive days at the start of term.
In a March ballot, members overwhelmingly backed industrial action to protect colleagues against job losses threatened as part of the University’s plan to save £20m in staff costs over the next two years. A decisive 72% of members backed strike action, with 81% backing action short of a strike, on a 64% turnout.
The employer claims that cuts to staff costs are a necessity and refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies if they don’t see enough staff savings through voluntary measures. Durham UCU believes that any necessary savings should come from non-staff costs and that compulsory redundancies should be off the table.
Durham UCU Co-president Dr. Sara L. Uckelman said, ‘Redundancies are a choice, not a necessity. If the employer refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies, they will leave us with no option but to undertake industrial action to protect our colleagues’ jobs. There is still time for the employer to take the actions needed to prevent this strike and the disruption it will cause. We remain willing to negotiate at any time.’
Durham UCU members will walk out from 28 April to 1 May unless the threat of redundancies is removed.