Sheffield Hallam UCU encourages staff to vote ‘yes’ in strikes ballot

Sheffield Hallam UCU has encouraged staff to vote “yes” in its strike ballot.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) branch are being balloted for industrial action as part of a dispute over delayed pay rises.

In September, Sheffield Hallam announced that a planned pay rise would be delayed until this July, and would not be backdated.

The move has been opposed by several unions on campus. In November, union members staged a protest over the decision.

In a video posted to YouTube, Ben Abell, branch secretary of Hallam UCU, encouraged members to vote “yes” in the ballot. He also claimed that insufficient and delayed pay rises over the past 15 years amounted to a real terms pay cut of 30 per cent.

He further hit out at the university, blaming financial mismanagement for the situation. He said: “We cannot stand by and allow the university to use our pay to solve self inflicted problems of excessive borrowing and spending.”

Sheffield Hallam University is experiencing an extended period of financial difficulty, with the university being in a financial deficit for the last several years.

In recent years, Sheffield Hallam has committed over £200 million in capital expenditure on projects in Sheffield, and has began building a brand new campus in London as part of efforts to attract more international students.

Hallam UCU claims those decisions have “amplified” the university’s financial problems.

The university’s struggles come during a difficult time for the higher education sector, in which many universities are struggling financially.

Falling international student numbers are currently causing significant losses of revenue to all British universities. Currently, most domestic students pay tuition fees of £9,250 per year, while international students pay a rate of £22,000 per year.

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According to the Home Office 263,400 sponsored study visa applications were made between July and September last year, down from 312,500 in the summer of 2023.

To restore SHU’s finances, Hallam UCU is calling on an end to further investment in the university’s London campus, and for a sell off of buildings that are no longer needed.

Already last year, 500 people left Sheffield Hallam University through voluntary severance – over 10 per cent of the total workforce at the university.

This comes as the UCU is also carrying out an indicative ballot of members at the University of Sheffield to sound out the possibility of strike action.

Sheffield Hallam University have been contacted for comment. 

Featured image via YouTube