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Our current mandate

In this current period of balloting for industrial action, we want to remind members of what we are voting for. Thus, we reproduce here our branch motion on moving towards a new industrial action mandate, passed at members’ meeting on Friday 12th December.

This branch notes:

  1. The current dispute for no CR in 2025 and 2026 remains live because the commitment given is only until 31 Oct 2026.
  1. That we see a breach of the agreement reached in November when we suspended our informed strike action. 

The University said in our agreement

“We make a commitment to meaningful and immediate engagement ie w/c 17th November with unions to discuss timeframes and proposals with sufficient time to review 2026 recruitment for suspended courses.  By meaningful we mean the University to provide in as quick as time as possible, any data needed to allow for a counter proposal to suspension.  This counter proposal will be seriously considered and responded to. The aim of the counter proposal is to show other areas of potential investment the University will adopt, with the sole aim of ensuring the reversal of potential suspension in time for 2026 or 2027 recruitment. “

On 4th December the University said (taken from the University’s own minutes)

“It was clarified that while alternative proposals from unions and staff were welcome at any time, they would not be incorporated into the initial consultation document. Instead, all proposals would be considered collectively during the formal consultation phase in the spring or early summer.

              UCU gives acknowledgement that data has been received but the above statement makes it clear that nothing is going to be considered until the formal consultation. This does not fit with the highlighted sentence of our agreement, as it will be too late.”

  1. The university has been making plans for months (possibly longer) regarding workload, whether that be an enormous increase in SSR or to impact time for research. It has even paid for outside consultants to assist in the decision making. Until late November, i.e. just prior to going to Council, this was not even mooted with the unions. This does not fit with genuine dialogue. 

This branch believes: 

  • The recent actions of the University do not give confidence in meaningful dialogue and some of the actions indicate the precise opposite.

This branch, therefore, resolves that a trade dispute should be registered with the University on the following points:

  • UCU seeks an agreement from the University that there will be no compulsory redundancies from the current commitment of 31st October 2026 until 31 December 2027. 
  • For the University to suspend its plans for increasing workload and job cuts (either by increasing SSR or by reducing research time) and to enter into discussions with UCU on a more appropriate ratio that is broadly in line with other Russell Group universities, who are within the QS global top 100 universities.
  • We seek to safeguard jobs and as such expect the University to provide a guarantee that degree programmes will be reinstated in all areas where programme suspensions or closures would have job implications; 
  • For a return to the agreement reached in November regarding suspended courses. In particular for the University to enter discussions with UCU with the sole aim of ensuring the reversal of potential suspension in time for 2026 or 2027 recruitment.
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UCU campaign post: Sir Keith O’Nions – Engendering Decline!

Email sent to members on Monday 9th March 2026.

As part of our fight to protect jobs and working conditions at the University of Nottingham, we will be sending regular emails outlining various aspects of our campaign. Today, we discuss the role of the Chair of Council Sir Keith O’Nions in the university’s financial debacle. Further details about our campaign can be found on our webpages, via the Future Nottingham tab.

Sir Keith O’Nions – Engendering Decline

The Council of the University of Nottingham plays a key role in the development of the institution. As it is highlighted on the university website, ‘University Council is a key component of the University’s governance structure, critiquing, debating and ratifying decisions which shape the future of the University. Council plays a critical role in challenging University decisions, influencing strategy and supporting the work of the University’s Executive Board which is made up of a small group of executive colleagues.’

Sir Keith O’Nions has been the Chair of Council since January 2020.

When the pandemic struck in Spring 2020, the University of Nottingham (UoN) experienced financial difficulties, which required drastic action. All non-essential spending was immediately suspended, a voluntary redundancy scheme resulted in the loss of more than 400 members of staff, and fixed-term and postgraduate teaching posts were terminated. In June/July 2020, budget cuts of 15 per cent were imposed on all faculties for the subsequent academic year.

In March 2021, the local University and College Union (UCU) branch presented its Alternative Financial Strategy (AFS). We pointed out that unless university management changed its lean financial management strategy, in which long-term infrastructure projects are exclusively financed through annual surpluses while cash reserves are being kept low, a similar situation was likely to re-occur a few years down the line.

Importantly, we contacted Sir Keith O’Nions at the time and asked him to circulate our financial alternative in Council. Nevertheless, the Chair of Council, responsible for the oversight of UoN finances, refused to do so. ‘The Chair and Council’, we were told, ‘are both fully apprised of, and have complete confidence in, the financial positioning of the University and require no additional external input’ (17 June, 2021).

Only a few months later, Council with Sir Keith O’Nions at its helm authorised the purchase of Castle Meadow Campus (CMC). It approved the initial acquisition cost of £37.5 million, i.e. Phase 1, and an additional £47m + vat, i.e. £54 million funding envelope, i.e. Phase 2, for a 10-year development plan, i.e. £91.5 million overall.

Senate, the only partly democratic institution within the university’s governance structure, pointed out that CMC was not fit for purpose as it did not have enough teaching rooms for a start. Instead of listening to reason, the Chair of Council together with the former Registrar stepped in and disempowered Senate through a change in its statutes.

Unsurprisingly, with the same financial strategy in place, by the end of 2023, the University was facing financial difficulties again. An immediate hiring freeze and non-pay savings were combined with a Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS), which resulted in the ‘voluntary’ redundancy of almost 300 staff in June 2024.

And still, the University of Nottingham with Sir Keith O’Nions as its Chair of Council soldiered on regardless. More money was invested in CMC and the financial model remained the same. In early 2025 it became finally clear that more drastic action had to be taken to keep the university afloat. Management finally accepted that CMC was not fit for purpose, estimating that it may have to sell it for no more than £14.5 million. Heads did roll. The term of the VC Shearer West was not renewed, the Registrar Paul Greatrix and the Chief Financial Officer Margaret Monckton both had to leave. However, Sir Keith O’Nions as Chair of Council stayed on.

Future Nottingham, a grand restructuring plan, was put forward. Phase 1 resulted in the loss of 350 mainly administrative staff through ‘voluntary redundancies’, Phase 2 is likely to cause further redundancies of hundreds of staff, this time mainly academics and technicians. A host of study programmes are earmarked for closure, higher staff-student ratios are intended to teach more students with fewer staff. And yet again, it is Sir Keith O’Nions, who ensured that the Strategic Case for Change was pushed through Council in November 2025.

In sum, it was Sir Keith O’Nions, who ensured that the purchase of Castle Meadow Campus was waived through Council back in 2021. It was he, who refused to share the Alternative Financial Strategy 1.0, produced by UCU, with members of Council. It was he who, together with the former Registrar, engineered the disempowerment of Senate. It is he who is currently driving the disastrous Future Nottingham restructuring programme. He is in many respects one of the key architects of the university’s current mess.  

It is Sir Keith O’Nions who has engendered deline! No wonder that members of all three campus unions included him in their Vote of No Confidence.

On behalf of the UCU Branch Committee

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update on VONC

Email sent to members on 23rd February 2026.

Dear Members,

Ref: Vote of No Confidence in the Vice Chancellor, Chair of Council and University Executive Board

Apologies for a second email from us today, we decided to send 2 separate emails today as both items are so significant.

I am happy to inform you that the VONC Motion, which was approved overwhelmingly by our members at the meeting held on 18 February 2026, was sent to Jason Carter, Chief Governance Officer, and Jane Norman (VC) at 5pm on Friday, 20 Feb, 2026 . We asked it to be forwarded to all the relevant roles, including President of Uni, Council and Senate.  Our sister unions: Unison and Unite also did the same, at the same time.  

We are now in the process of contacting the press.

Many thanks again and full solidarity. 

Lopa

(on behalf of branch committee). 

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Formal ballot to open on 2 March!

Email sent to members on Monday 23rd February 2026. Very minor edit made.

Dear UCU members,

   After our overwhelming result in the indicative ballot, when more than 73 per cent of you voted with large majorities in favour of strike action and action short of strike, the national UCU granted us the right to move towards a formal ballot. I herewith confirm that we informed management last Friday that the ballot will open on Monday, 2 March. Please make every effort to participate in the ballot and talk to your colleagues to ensure that they do so too. A strong ballot will put significant pressure on management and provide us with the necessary tools to defend our jobs and working conditions.

   For the duration of the ballot and potential subsequent industrial action, we have established a campaign group, which is open to all members. If you want to participate, please contact me from non-workplace email accounts at [email removed for privacy].

In solidarity,

                                       Andreas (on behalf of the UCU committee)

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Vote in the indicative ballot and meeting reminders

Email sent to members on Thursday 22nd January 2026. Zoom links have been removed, please find in the original email.

Dear members,

Just a quick email with three bits of information.

  1. Do make sure you vote in the indicative ballot! The email was sent first thing on the 19th of January and some people have found it went to a junk/other folder. It was sent by ‘UoN UCU Branch Committee’ from the yoursay@ucu.org.uk email if that helps you find it. It takes 30 seconds to vote, and a strong message now will help us in our new dispute
  1. A reminder of our members meeting tomorrow (Friday 23rd) at 1pm. We will give you an update on the rapidly changing nature of Future Nottingham and all the branch has been doing to fight the restructure.
  1. Promotion pause response. If this has impacted you and you want to help shape our response to it, we will be having a promotions-specific meeting straight after the members meeting at 2pm on the 23rd. Or else please contact the secretary Nick (nickpclare@gmail.com) to provide your input.

In solidarity,

Nick (on behalf of the committee)