UK university job cuts and industrial issues
University claims it had sought to hold off making redundancies but says cuts are now ‘unavoidable’ while a sustainable funding settlement is ‘not forthcoming’
Union opposes new savings target and questions plans for online courses
‘Vicious cycle’ of course closures means system ‘gradually losing breadth and depth of expertise’
Staff to be divided into teaching and research roles, with new starters hired via subsidiary firm
Sheffield Hallam union members ballot on following suit and London Met walkout dates confirmed as sector financial crisis drives cuts
Employers say claim would be ‘extremely challenging’ in time of financial hardship, as annual pay talks get under way
Decline in fixed-term and zero hours contracts ‘not good news’ in sector shedding thousands of positions
Some universities reduce staff teams by more than a fifth after year of cutbacks and job losses, new data show
Staff at Strathclyde and Durham vote to walk out in disputes over job losses and workloads, while Northumbria to be hit with disruption in row over pensions
Union wins industrial action ballot over move to freeze pay for those who refuse Teachers’ Pension Scheme switch
University claims staff are in breach of contract for failing to reorganise lectures lost during recent industrial action
Union leader says Southend campus closure will ‘take the heart out of the town’
New Ucea chair warns ‘much is at stake’ if unions and employers don’t collaborate to tackle ‘negative’ sector image, as he promises action on the ‘employee experience’
Analysis of UK sector accounts shows number of job losses well above predictions, with experts warning cuts are not over yet
University’s plan to cut more than 100 academic roles puts its reputation for inclusive education at risk, fears UCU
Union says reduction in staff numbers has led to increased pressure but university warns potential industrial action lacks justification
Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt, Stirling and Strathclyde threatened with industrial action as Scottish government’s review of higher education funding begins
Increases to staff-student ratios could send university into a ‘death spiral’, says union leader as vice-chancellor insists institution must act now
Union members back industrial action in early 2026 as row over pensions continues while Essex employees also launch ballot
English regulator warns multiple unnamed universities may have breached consumer protection legislation
Cardiff’s January announcement of plans to cut 400 academic jobs and close several departments prompted a media firestorm that heaped opprobrium on its vice-chancellor. But she also received lots of quiet support for her efforts to put the university back on an even financial keel, she tells Chris Havergal
Institution agrees to pay undisclosed sum after cutting unique master’s programme amid review of provision
University says it has been forced into making ‘decisions we could have never previously imagined’ after steep drop in international student numbers
Academics claim changes made to higher education system a decade ago have divided sector into ‘winners and losers’, with government-imposed limits on income exacerbating financial challenges
Industrial action also planned at University of Derby as rows over employment conditions deepen
Tension within union over whether pay dispute is a distraction, or helpful in galvanising branches trying to halt job cuts
University proposes to merge existing administrative functions into central hub but unions fear move will add to ‘enormous pressures’
University says financial uncertainties continue as government’s proposed student levy will ‘wipe out any benefits’ from rising tuition fees
Union branches plan walkouts across UK amid increased tensions with senior managers
University reports itself to watchdog after employees receive letters with the words ‘redundancy process’ clearly visible through an envelope
Proposed job losses almost triple since March as unions prepare to vote on nationwide industrial action
UCU Scotland members back taking action over job cuts plans, while staff at Nottingham reject deal that would have postponed any compulsory redundancies
Almost 40 principal lecturer posts affected and 14 jobs lost in planned restructure, while staff at Imperial College London strike over ‘below inflation’ pay offer
Union plans to call four weeks of continuous strikes as university reviews staffing across several academic departments
Industrial action follows previous walkouts in June, July and August
Analysis reveals half of closures have come at lower-tariff universities, creating a ‘vicious cycle’ for institutions struggling to attract students
Neighbouring Edinburgh Napier University also announces job cuts as pressure builds on Scottish sector
Chemistry and engineering among latest subject areas at risk at south Yorkshire university, as Liverpool settles hybrid working dispute
Staff to walk out again over plans to save £16 million, with university open day also affected
Staff at Liverpool Hope announce 10 days of action at start of academic year, while union members at Lancaster and Leicester vote on taking action
Number of roles affected could be almost double previous estimates when voluntary schemes and hiring freezes factored in, say researchers
University says it will have to ‘carefully assess’ financial impact of not implementing changes, as union hails ‘huge victory’
University says NHS and apprenticeship changes make programmes ‘no longer viable’ but union calls move a ‘dereliction of civic responsibility’
