University job cuts warning ahead of strike ballot

A union has claimed 130 jobs could go as part of attempts to save almost £27m at Sheffield Hallam University.

The University and College Union (UCU) has begun balloting members at the university for strike action and said the cuts were due to the university's "poor governance and financial mismanagement".

The union said staff had been "left wondering about their futures and the future of the university".

Sheffield Hallam University said it had previously made savings without compulsory redundancies and its current proposals, which aim to save £26.6m, would mean a net reduction of 70 roles.

The UCU said staff briefings were held last week by the university.

From those discussions it said its claim of 130 possible job losses was "realistic but conservative".

The union said such a move would mean the loss of valuable teaching experience, weakening the appeal of the university to current and future students.

The university employs around 4,000 members of staff, split evenly between academic and professional services.

It also plans to make changes to pensions for the majority of its academic staff.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said staff were "rightly outraged that management wants to slash pension benefits, tear up local and national agreements and divide the workforce".

"The changes are an attack on learning and working conditions and must be stopped."

A spokesperson for the university said: "Over the last two years Sheffield Hallam has been able to make significant savings, while avoiding compulsory redundancies to date.

"However, in the absence of sufficient government support to secure the Higher Education sector's long-term financial sustainability, like most universities we must make further savings in 2026/27 to secure a sustainable position for the future."

They said they were negotiating with trade union representatives about proposals to change the "academic staffing model" which would increase the use of grade 6 academic tutors, the lowest grade of staff.

The university has also opened a new voluntary severance scheme for academic staff.

The ballot, which runs from 31 March to 5 May, comes after staff at the university walked out on strike in November over job losses, staff workload and welfare.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North