Trade Union Stages Rally Against Brighton University Mass Redundancies

Staff at the University of Brighton have announced a rally against "cruel redundancies" being imposed by the institution’s management.  

Twenty-three academic staff at Brighton were issued with compulsory redundancy notices on Thursday (July 20).

It's after 80 staff 'reluctantly' accepted voluntary redundancy 'rather than face being sacked'.

Brighton University and College Union (UCU) members say they are now on indefinite strike, fighting to stop the cuts. 

A protest has been scheduled for Monday, July 24 at 12.30pm, whereby the Brighton UCU branch will be joined by the union’s General Secretary Jo Grady and trade union branches.

The union says the job cuts will 'decimate subjects including art, literature, education, acute care and nursing, engineering, and sport science at Brighton'.

They have argued that university senior managers 'claim they need to make £17.9million in savings, yet have splashed more than £50million on building projects in the last two years'. UCU said that the employer invoking financial difficulties as a pretext for the redundancies therefore strains credulity.  

Last week, UCU announced a global boycott of the university, in which the union's members, labour movement organisations, and the international academic community are expected to partake (*see below). Of the 36 professors at the university, 10 are to be made redundant.  

UCU regional official Michael Moran said:

"Brighton University management are not only cruelly attacking the livelihoods of our members, but committing a monumental act of self-harm. If these brutal job cuts are not revoked, they will do irreparable damage to the university’s educational provision and indeed its reputation.  

"These redundancies have been pursued in an especially shameful manner, with the employer refusing to open the books or entertain any meaningful consultation with their hard-working staff through the union. We do know, however, that the university leadership are happy to waste tens of millions on flashy new buildings while taking an axe to jobs. Pleading poverty in this context really strains credulity. 

"It is not too late for the university to change course, withdraw the compulsory redundancy notices, and prevent their reputation sinking any further."

A University of Brighton spokesperson said:

“As a provider of high-quality, skills-based education, there are significant opportunities for us to continue to strengthen our position as we look to the future. The changes we are making to our workforce will help us to do that.

“Like many other universities, the backdrop to these changes has a significant financial dimension. We have been open with our staff about the nature of this financial challenge, and consulted fully with our trade unions on the proposals.

“Through this process, we have ensured we retain the right staff with the collective skills, experience and expertise to continue to deliver our full range of courses for our current and future students. We continue to do all we can to support those colleagues impacted by these proposals.”

*The global boycott of the University of Brighton means UCU  is asking its members, other trade unions, labour movement organisations and the international academic community to support its members at Brighton in any way possible, including by: 

· not applying for any advertised jobs at Brighton 

· not speaking at or organising academic or other conferences at Brighton which are outside of contract 

· not accepting new invitations to give lectures at Brighton 

· not accepting new positions as visiting professors or researchers at Brighton 

· not accepting invitations outside of contract to write for any academic journal which is edited at or produced by Brighton 

· not accepting new contracts as external examiners for taught courses at Brighton 

· refusing to collaborate on new outside of contract research projects with Brighton.