Academics from London Metropolitan University in Holloway face mass redundancies

HUNDREDS of staff walked out on strike on Wednesday after university bosses refused to row back on a programme of mass redundancies.

Academics at London Metropolitan University in Holloway have been sounding the alarm for months on a decision to cut 120 jobs, and have told of their “devasta­tion” after finding out their posts had been “deleted”.

But with university chiefs refusing to come to the negotiating table, University and College Union members began an eight-day strike.

“From my view, this is a fight they wanted and they feel they have to win,” said Glyn Robbins, a senior lecturer in community development and leadership who received his redundancy notice two weeks ago.

He added: “If they were honest about involving us a year ago, when they knew there was a crisis coming, they could have said ‘let’s work together’ and we would’ve been open to that, but they’ve now taken us to a position where there has to be a fight.”

London Met has told professors, lecturers, and academic mentors that the redundancies come in response to “financial pressures”.

University chiefs have said that government policy, which makes it more difficult to recruit international students, is to blame for the cuts. “We all accept it’s a difficult time, the sector is in meltdown in some ways”, said Mr Robbins. “The government is not supplying enough funding to make up the gap lost by overseas students. We all understand that, but the way to start talking about a restructure or a reorgan­isation is not ‘we’re making 120 people unemployed’.”

Students have been supporting lecturers and Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn joined strikers on the picket line on Wednesday. The group shouted at the vice-chancellor as she entered the building, calling on her to reconsider the “cruel” and “barbaric” decision.

Mr Robbins said: “I’d like to think at the very least we’ve caused disruption. We don’t want this to be disruption for students, but we do want it to be disruption for the management”.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Axing more than one in five academics would seriously threaten the viability of London Met as an academic institution. Several subjects would be comprom­ised or even eliminated and there would not be enough staff left to sufficiently support students.”

A London Met spokes­person said: “We have had to take difficult decisions that we know will be worrying and upsetting for many of our academic and technical staff. We fully respect the right of UCU members to take industrial action. However, we must respond to significant external changes to protect the university’s long-term stability. Our priority is to support our students and minimise disruption to their studies.

“Our formal consultation process concluded last month and our final plans have now been published. We will continue to engage with staff and trade union representatives as we move into implementation, including on the practical arrangements and the support available to colleagues affected.”