Nottingham University strikes suspended after deal with union

University of Nottingham staff have suspended strike action following an improved offer on proposed job cuts, although the union has warned the dispute remains unresolved.

Members of the University and College Union’s (UCU) Nottingham branch voted today to suspend industrial action, with the decision taking effect from 12th November.

UCU’s general secretary, Jo Grady, said: “UCU members have decided that sufficient progress has been made to justify pausing strike action while further negotiations take place. This is a welcome step forward, but the dispute is not over.  

“We will continue to press the university to do everything possible to avoid compulsory redundancies. We remain prepared to reinstate industrial action if meaningful progress is not made.”

The current wave of strikes began on 5th October and had been scheduled to continue until 11th December. The latest action follows earlier industrial disputes, including previous strikes and marking boycotts.

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The dispute centres on the university’s Future Nottingham restructuring plan, which proposes 560 job cuts, with approximately 2,700 staff previously placed at risk of redundancy.

The university reported an operating deficit of £85.3 million in its latest accounts and has argued that restructuring is necessary to secure the university’s long-term financial position.

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However, UCU has challenged the university’s justification for the cuts, arguing that exceptional property write-downs account for a substantial proportion of the reported deficit. The union has put forward its own savings measures, which it says could protect jobs while addressing the university’s financial position.

Last month, the university reduced the number of expected job cuts from 608 to 560, but reaffirmed that its music and languages departments are still due to close.

A spokesperson for the University of Nottingham said: “We are pleased to announce a suspension to the current industrial action after an agreement was reached today between the university and UCU colleagues.

“This brings an end to the current period of industrial action and will ensure a return to planned teaching and learning activity for our students.

“Our shared priority now is to support those students whose learning has been impacted by industrial action and to do everything we can to mitigate the impact on them through catch up of missed learning and completion of exam and assessment related activities.”

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Featured image via Benjamin Cheng on Unsplash