Email sent to members on Monday 11th May 2026. Zoom/Teams links removed.
Dear UCU members,
You will have heard by now about the drastic job cuts planned by our management. As the VC stated at the online and in-person staff meetings, ‘at risk of redundancy’ letters will be sent out tomorrow to more than 2500 staff members (
). Thank you for the killer questions you asked at the VC meetings today and for the spontaneous clapping from the audience after each one of them.
Re: The letters. Do not despair. You are not alone. It is our collective strength which will see us through this crisis. We know that these cuts are not necessary, see the UCU counterproposal. The specific counterproposals, challenging the updated business case, shown to BC last Friday, are being prepared for the June deadline. We, exec, will continue to go to all the extra JNCC meetings on this. Our fabulous Reps are fully involved in discussions and always there for us. And of course, it is now the time to move towards our industrial action and make sure that compulsory redundancies become the most difficult option. There are always alternatives and our collective action in the forthcoming Marking and Assessment Boycott will change the course of management’s restructuring plans. Talk to colleagues in your areas, plan jointly for industrial action and let’s stay the course together.
In particular we have organised an all-staff, cross-union meeting tomorrow (12th May) at 12.30-1.30. This is a wider chance for all staff to share how they are feeling in the wake of today’s news. After that, we have also organised a UCU-specific meeting at 1pm on the 18th of May to discuss the Marking and Assessment Boycott and strike action.
Solidarity,