University staff balloted over fresh strike action

Staff at Sheffield Hallam University are to be balloted over "sustained industrial action" after the university put forward proposals for cuts of £27m.

The University and College Union (UCU) said staff had been informed by the university's executive board of plans to make £16m of savings through cutting jobs and another £8m from changes to staff pensions.

The ballot comes just months after staff at the university walked out on strike in November over job losses, staff workload and welfare.

Sheffield Hallam said financial challenges are being faced across the higher education sector and it must continue to make "difficult choices" to reduce costs and increase income.

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

The union said an emergency motion calling for an immediate ballot of members to undertake a period of sustained industrial action was overwhelmingly carried.

A UCU spokesperson said: "The ramifications of the changes to staff pensions go beyond the proposed savings and we have requested further information from the university.

"Changes to pensions present a threat that staff may be transferred from direct employment into a subsidiary company.

"The university's financial decision making remains under intense scrutiny in the light of recent job losses.

"The union does not accept the rationale offered for further job cuts and changes to staff pensions and demands the university looks to other options to make the cost savings they suggest they need."

The university said it was "fully committed" to consulting with staff and was already in discussions on how to work with trade unions on any future proposals.

A spokesperson said: "Like all universities, we are having to make tough decisions due to the well-documented financial challenges being faced across the higher education sector.

"No formal proposals on pensions have been put forward, although we have previously communicated to staff that we are considering options to help address the disproportionately high pension costs modern universities like Sheffield Hallam are facing.

"For example, our pension costs have increased from £5m to £35m in the last 20 years.

"With the overall financial picture for universities likely to be challenging for some time, we must continue to make the difficult choices required to reduce costs and increase income, in order to emerge in a stronger, sustainable position for the future."

Staff at Sheffield Hallam University walked out on strike last November over job losses, staff workload and welfare.

Speaking at the time, the union said 1,000 members of staff had left the university in the past two years.

The union has previously called for a government-led public inquiry into how Sheffield Hallam has managed public money, claiming finances are "perilous".

Union bosses have alleged a "series of reckless decisions" taken by university management have significantly contributed to the present-day crisis".

The university said over the last two years it had been able to make £60m of savings without the need for any compulsory redundancies to date.

It said that it had maintained investment in innovation and has more than doubled its research income to £21.7m in 2024/25.

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