Sheffield Hallam University strike ballot over plans to ‘make 300 staff redundant’

A new strike action ballot has been launched for staff at Sheffield Hallam University over plans to “make 300 staff redundant”.

The Hallam branch of the University and College Union (UCU) claims the redundancies are planned to be made between July and December 2025 – with 150 of those being academic staff.

Staff will be able to vote for strike action and action short of strike until 1st October.

In a letter to members, Hallam UCU said: “We cannot allow the university to cut staff to balance its books and absolve itself of its poor financial planning.

“The new buildings we see at City Campus are being paid for at the expense of staff who have been made redundant, and this is part of the wider narrative where the impressive looking real estate conceals cuts to staff and services but is presented now in terms of fiscal probity and growth.”

The new City Campus – three new buildings opposite the Owen Building – will house teaching for business, law, and technology from the start of the new academic year.

A spokesperson for Sheffield Hallam University told The Sheffield Tab the new development “provides outstanding new facilities that are a huge asset for the university and wider region”.

They added: “The competitive nature of the UK higher education sector means we need to invest in our estate. The new buildings are attractive, modern and environmentally sustainable, which also allows us to consolidate our estate more efficiently.”

The cost of the new buildings was also cited in previous Hallam UCU strike action in March, which primarily focused on the delay to last year’s staff pay award.

In the latest dispute, the union branch is calling for a commitment to no compulsory redundancies and making financial savings without reducing staff numbers.

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A 50 per cent threshold will need to be met in order for strike action to take place.

The university spokesperson continued: “Like all universities, we have had to make some tough decisions due to the financial challenges being faced across higher education. To date, we have been able to make significant savings to set us on a path to a more financially sustainable future without the need for any compulsory redundancies.

“With the overall financial picture for universities likely to be challenging for some time, we must continue to make the difficult choices required to reduce costs and increase income. We will continue to seek to avoid compulsory redundancies where possible and continue to engage closely with our staff and trade union representatives.

“We are disappointed that UCU have opened a ballot for industrial action. In the event of any strikes, our priority will be to do everything possible to minimise the impact on our students and wider university community.”

Featured image from @steelcitysnaps on X