The University of Sheffield has been threatened with more industrial action after it announced a plan to review staffing levels across five subject areas.
A ballot has been opened by the University and College Union (UCU), with members being urged to back strikes as part of the ongoing dispute.
UCU said both academics and professional services staff have been put at risk of redundancy. It comes after the union won a previous strike ballot earlier this year over concerns that plans to save ?23 million across two years were too?“drastic”. Strikes were halted halfway through when the university agreed not to make compulsory redundancies.?
More restructures are now expected after the university announced reviews of academic staffing in chemistry; civil engineering; the management school; materials science and engineering; and the school of East Asian studies.
A total number of job losses has not yet been confirmed but the union said the university was “threatening to cut at least ?5 million by slashing staff and has made clear it is also willing to pursue more cuts by changing departments’ size and shape”.
It said it feared for staff who remain, given that they will probably face additional workload pressures.?
UCU pointed to the low levels of debt and an operational surplus of ?6 million detailed in Sheffield’s most recent accounts as evidence that it could afford “a more measured approach to its current financial situation”.
Sheffield UCU branch president David Hayes said the university “continues to pursue a campaign of disruptive and damaging changes in the name of fiscal prudence”.
“The result will be spiralling workloads for staff who remain in post, demoralisation, and worsening workloads across the board. Staff have already had to endure seven years of relentless top-down change from management. It’s time for a rethink.”?
A spokesperson for Sheffield confirmed it had been informed about the ballot but said “we stand by our commitment to make no compulsory redundancies in this calendar year. We are also continuing to work with the UCU and other trade unions to avoid them wherever possible in the future.”
“We continue to take a considered and strategic approach to the current challenges facing the higher education sector, including a?reduction in income from international students,?in order to safeguard?our world-class teaching and research.”?
Meanwhile UCU has welcomed the end of a dispute at the University of Liverpool over hybrid working rules.
Earlier this month, the union – alongside members of Unite – agreed to call off strikes after negotiating new terms with the university that will mean employees are now only expected to be on campus 40 per cent of the time, as opposed to the 60 per cent originally proposed.
More than 300 professional services staff previously took part in the strike action, saying the move affected their work-life balance and there was insufficient space on campus to accommodate them all, given some offices had been repurposed after the pandemic.
UCU regional support official Marie Monaghan said it was a “victory for staff who have been supporting students for years from home and in person”.
A jointly developed hybrid working policy will be rolled out in the new year, she added.
A University of Liverpool spokesperson said, “We are always committed to working constructively with our recognised trade unions. Following formal consultation in line with our agreed procedures, we continued to maintain a dialogue on this issue and are pleased to have reached a joint resolution.”
Sheffield?was also contacted for comment.?
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