Durham UCU are appalled by the proposals of the Durham University management to cut staff costs by £10 million in the current academic year (2024–25), with a further £10 million in the following academic year (2025–26). These cuts are targeting professional services and support staff, who provide the backbone infrastructure that allows our university to function smoothly, from providing vital research and teaching support, to taking care of the health and well-being of our students, to filling our libraries, to ensuring that our buildings are kept safe and clean for both staff and students. There is no university without its staff: Cutting staff costs will result in a diminished student experience and, in a context where workload is already a significant cause for concern, cause increased workload on staff.
Since the employer has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies, on 24 January 2025, we sent the employer a notice of Failure to Agree, initiating formal dispute procedures. As a branch, Durham UCU will continue to fight for the jobs and working conditions for all our members.
Durham UCU committee
28 January 2025