Campus faces potentially more strike action

Strike action looks likely to hit the University again as union officials refuse to rule out industrial action over proposed outsourcing of University IT services.

The proposals, set forward in October will see 125 jobs be potentially at risk, as the whole IT department is set to be restructured.

An online petition opposing the plans has already reached over a 1000 signatures, but Union officials are refusing to rule out strike action over the proposals.

UCU regional official Sue Davis said: "These plans are terrible news for the IT department, but also really bad news for the university as a whole.
…Previous outsourcing led to a loss of expertise and we anticipate comparable problems under these plans. We cannot rule out the possibility of industrial action."

The University has previously outsourced some functions to an Indian based consultancy firm.

A University spokesperson said “We are at least a year away from making any changes, so it is too early to speculate on their impact.
..we will do everything we can to minimise the impact to our existing teams, and in any future model". UCU bosses have demanded the university "invest in existing staff' and 'improve its current system".

Details around industrial action have yet to be released. However, with wider staff members of the university supporting their colleagues affected, it could be expected to mirror the substantial industrial action that impacted the University last year.