University and College Union (UCU) members are starting eight days of discontinuous strike action on 15 April at London Metropolitan University in North London. London Met is reported to be spending £284 million on tarting up its real estate while sacking 120 loyal lecturers – as many as a fifth of academic jobs could go.
In Sheffield, staff at three higher education institutions find they have no choice but to strike. UCU members at the University of Sheffield International College have taken seven days of strike action during February, March and April over a pay freeze.
UCU members at the University of Sheffield have voted for strike action, having already been on strike in November and December over job losses. At Sheffield Hallam, workers are balloting to protect pensions and against job losses.
The fight is also continuing at Northumbria over ‘pension theft’ and a pay freeze. and the University of Essex over job cuts and the threatened closure of the Southend Campus.
