‘We need to punch with our collective force’: 21 more strike days announced at Newcastle Uni

Newcastle University staff are set to take a further 21 days of strike action throughout the upcoming semester, following continued disputes over job cuts and the university’s financial decisions.

The University and College Union (UCU) announced the following strike dates:

28th April
1st – 2nd May
7th – 10th May
12th – 16th May
19th – 23rd May
26th – 27th May
27th – 28th June

UCU and university management are due to enter negotiations on Wednesday 30th April. If an agreement is reached, the strike may be called off. However, if the union remains unsatisfied, staff will continue with the planned action.

A list of potential actions posted to the Newcastle Uni UCU’s Instagram account include: “To consult with members for… maximum impact on the university’s operations, including marking and assessment, exam boards and pre-exam boards, graduation, open days.”

UCU also wants “to build towards an effective marking and assessment boycott” and “to reballot in May/June in order to secure a mandate to threaten further hard hitting industrial action from September onwards, targeting induction and semester one.”

In an open letter to the University Council dated 28th March, Newcastle UCU negotiators urged senior management to reconsider the planned redundancies and criticised the decision-making of the University Executive Board.

The letter, signed by Professor Matt Perry, UCU Branch Chair and lecturer in the school of history, classics, and archaeology, described the significant impact of the cuts on staff: “Every single member of staff – 6,455 employees – was notified that they were at risk of redundancy on 21st January. The impact of this has been catastrophic on morale.”

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The letter argues there are “no genuine” financial grounds for compulsory staff redundancies and accuses management of of misrepresenting the university’s financial position, relying on inflated international student recruitment targets and wrongly describing a shortfall in income as a serious financial deficit to justify job cuts.

It also adds that the £35 million figure widely circulated is “not to be confused with a deficit” but a shortfall resulting from unrealistic projections, arguing that the university “has greater cash than its overall debt,” meaning it can afford a small shortfall without needing to make staff redundant.

The letter also warns that continued staff cuts could damage Newcastle’s academic reputation, student experience, and global rankings.

A Newcastle University spokesperson said:

“We understand that colleagues do not take these decisions lightly, but we are extremely disappointed by the announcement of further industrial action. We will be putting in place measures to maintain academic standards and minimise the impact on our students.

“Like many universities across the UK, we are seeking to reduce our staff costs to safeguard our future as a globally leading university and we have achieved the majority of savings needed through a voluntary severance scheme.

“Any proposals regarding next steps will form part of our ongoing consultation with trade unions. Compulsory redundancies will always be a last resort, and we are committed to working constructively with our unions to explore all possible alternatives. Our priority is to support our colleagues through this challenging period while working towards a more sustainable future for our university.”

This follows 14 days of industrial action in March, sparked by the university’s decision to make £30 million in cuts, including a £20 million reduction in the wage bill. According to union sources, around 300 jobs are at risk.

In a speech made during the previous strike action, Matt Perry said: “Yes, they’ve got the power. Yes, they’ve got the money. Yes, they can hunker down in their bunker at the top floor of this building but they haven’t got the staff and they haven’t got the students.

“They have lost the argument. So we need to punch with our collective force to stand together and to unite. Because we can change things. We can make a difference.”

Frustration among staff grew after vice-chancellor Chris Day announced that the university is considering opening a new campus in India. The UCU argues that this reflects misplaced priorities at a time when local jobs are under threat.

If the upcoming negotiations fail, students can expect more disruptions throughout the final semester.

Featured image via Instagram @newcastleuniucu