UCU to cut Brighton university IT jobs amid the pandemic

There will be a socially distanced picket line held tomorrow


Staff at the University of Brighton will start a picket line tomorrow morning to protest against the cuts of many IT support staff. There will be a socially distanced picket at Brighton university, Moulsecoombe campus at 8:30 am. Many students will join these members of the University and Colleges Union (UCU).

Chairman of Brighton University UCU, Mark Abel, stated that the decision to cut these jobs was “indefensible”, The Argus reports. Many students have shown their solidarity and support towards the strikes via social media.

Tomorrow’s socially distanced picket is the first of many planned by the union for this upcoming month. There are more actions in place around December 7, 10, 15 and 16. It is said that Labour MP for Kemptown, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, will be present and speak at a Brighton UCU online rally at around noon tomorrow.

The University of Sussex UCU has released a statement of solidarity towards the IT staff at the University of Brighton. They state that they believe that the IT staff are critical towards online teaching and research and have made an outstanding effort towards the rapid move to remote teaching.