University of Lincoln: Union to hold strike talks over staff cuts

The university said it was necessary to reduce its budgets for 2024/25 in the face of rising costs

University of Lincoln staff are to be consulted on possible strike action after the university announced plans to reduce its budget by 20%.

The University and College Union (UCU) said the "looming threat" targets over 220 employees, including one in ten academic staff.

Union leaders said the proposed cuts would cause "irreparable harm".

The university said it was necessary to reduce its budgets for 2024/25 in the face of rising costs.

The union said more than 220 jobs were at risk

According to the union, the "severity" of the proposed cuts had "ignited" strong opposition among university staff.

UCU Lincoln acting chair Dr Rob Dean said: "It is simply impossible to slash so many jobs without severely impacting current students, future students and diminishing the university's vital role as a cornerstone of regional education.

"Furthermore, not only are many people in danger of losing their jobs, but we are also extremely concerned that those remaining will be left with unmanageable workloads," he said.

He said the cuts would also "extend beyond the confines of academia" in a small city like Lincoln, including having an impact on the local economy.

'Absolute priorities'

The university, which was recently awarded the highest national honour in UK further and higher education for its work on sustainability in the UK's food and farming industries, announced in January it was under "growing" financial pressure.

In a statement on Thursday, a university spokesperson said: "Universities across the country are being placed under financial pressure by the ongoing freeze in UK undergraduate tuition fees and recent immigration policy changes which are deterring international students.

"The University of Lincoln is not immune... and we are having to take steps to reduce our base budgets in 2024/25 in the face of rising costs and stalling real-terms income."

However, they added that minimising job losses, supporting staff, and protecting the student experience would "be absolute priorities".

The UCU Lincoln branch committee called on the university's management to scrap any plans for compulsory redundancies.

In response, the university said it was launching a voluntary redundancy scheme as part of the ongoing effort to reduce costs and would continue to engage with unions.

A consultation on potential strike action is due to begin on Monday.