Staff at the University of Sheffield are planning a series of strikes ahead of exam season, after cuts and fears of compulsory redundancy.
The Sheffield University College Union (UCU) voted overwhelmingly in favour to support industrial action after significant cuts to staff costs over the next two years were unveiled, as well as the restructuring of academic departments into new ‘schools’.
The initial strike will be held on Wednesday 30 April, followed by a nine-day walk-out between Tuesday 6 May and Friday 16 May.
Sheffield UCU asked senior university management to commit to avoiding compulsory redundancies, with the university failing to provide this guarantee, claiming there were a range of challenges facing the higher education sector.
In response, the UCU asked management to “commit to reducing their own pay and forgoing bonuses until the university is back in surplus.”
Sheffield Students’ Union supports the planned industrial action, and has set up a range of free and educational workshops throughout the first day of strikes, for students to attend if their learning is interrupted.
Professor Mary Vincent, Vice-President for Education at the University of Sheffield, said: “We understand that students may be concerned about the planned industrial action, following similar actions at other universities regarding difficult decisions institutions are making to address sector-wide challenges.
“We expect that the vast majority of our students will be unaffected by any action but, where there is disruption, we will do everything we can to support them and minimise the impact on their education.
“We have written to all our students to share information about what they can expect during industrial action and ensure they are aware of the support available to them. We will continue to keep them updated.”
Florrie Hulbert, 22, studies MA Creative Writing, and said: “I think it’s a complex issue because I support why the lecturers and professors are doing it, but it is frustrating as a student to have your class time cut and to have this happen in exam season when I am needing my tutors support more than normal.”
She explains the challenges in balancing postgraduate work and feeling unprioritised, but ultimately understands why employees of The University may feel the industrial action is necessary.
Eve Chadwick, 21, a final year law student, said: “I think the strikes are quite frustrating because obviously it is understandable that 300 jobs being cut is not reasonable or fair, and is a significant event – however, I feel like universities are one of the only businesses in which a consumer, or the person paying for the service is expected to just accept the cuts – and the university takes, from the perspective of a student, almost no responsibility for the poor service.”
Teaching and assessments are expected to take place as normal, unless students have been informed otherwise by their schools and staff.
