University union branches unite against higher education job cuts

More than 15 university union branches have formed a coalition to coordinate opposition to job cuts across the higher education sector, after some staff groups said the national union’s response had left them feeling isolated. The Save HE Committee has published a manifesto and scheduled a day of action for Oct. 27, one day before Chancellor John Healey is due to unveil his latest Budget.

The coalition includes branches at Goldsmiths, University of London, and the universities of Essex and Nottingham, among others. It brings together University and College Union (UCU) and Unison branches. Organizers say the aim is to connect local campaigns over job cuts and build support across institutions.

The campaign comes as universities face financial pressures and restructuring. The group’s manifesto says the crisis reflects political and economic choices, and commits branches to sharing resources, coordinating action and strengthening collective organization.

What is planned for Oct. 27

Branches at Nottingham and Goldsmiths, where staff are engaged in long-running strikes over university plans, will hold campus “funeral marches.” Nottingham staff plan to dress as ghosts, ghouls and skeletons to draw attention to what they describe as the effects of restructuring programs.

Other participating branches include those at Glasgow, Greenwich, London South Bank, Warwick, Newcastle, London Metropolitan and University College London. The Greenwich branch plans to join a pre-Budget march through London to Downing Street.

The central UCU has separately announced a national day of action for Nov. 20. The coalition’s organizers welcomed that announcement but said they wanted a national response earlier.

Why branches are joining forces

Des Freedman of the Goldsmiths UCU branch said the coalition took shape over the summer, after universities announced major job cuts. He said branches wanted to ensure that “no one was left to fight alone.”

Andreas Bieler, vice-president of the Nottingham UCU branch, said coordination was intended to show how problems at individual universities connect to wider pressures across the sector. Greenwich branch co-chair Ruth Ballardie said members had lost trust that change was possible and that working with other branches had helped them feel less isolated.

The coalition says it plans to continue working together beyond the Oct. 27 events and hopes to hold a convention to launch its manifesto. UCU general secretary Jo Grady responded to the criticism, but her full statement was not available in the published text.

This report draws on information from Times Higher Education (THE).