Update on local ballot in relation to strike action
The University of Exeter branch of the University and College Union (UCU) recently conducted a ballot asking members whether they would be willing to take local strike action in response to a formal consultation on potential staffing changes in some areas of our academic faculties.
The ballot closed on Wednesday 9 September, and the result shows that the majority of members who voted supported taking strike action and action short of a strike.
The Exeter UCU will provide the University with 10 days' notice before any strike action begins. We will keep colleagues and students updated and share further information as soon as it becomes available.
We appreciate this may be an unsettling time and are continuing to work closely with representatives from across the University, and the Students’ Guild and the Student’s Union, to identify how we can manage the impact of any potential strike action.
We can assure you that the University will be open throughout any period of industrial action. Providing our students with an excellent educational experience is one of our top priorities.
If you feel you need some additional support during this time, please do not hesitate to contact our Wellbeing team. You can reach them here if you are studying in Exeter and here if you are studying in Cornwall. The Exeter Students’ Guild and Students’ Union, the recognised representative bodies for students, also provide free, independent and confidential advice through their advice teams.
No, the University will remain open during any strike days and will have services and support available. We do not anticipate widespread disruption to take place across the University.
We have more than 7,000 colleagues working here. UCU have notified us that they have 1,270 members at the University which equates to around 18% of University staff. Not all members may choose to take part in any industrial action. For data protection reasons, we do not hold a log of union members but we do have an indication of which faculties and professional services members are grouped in.
Like many universities across the UK, we are facing financial pressures due to long-term reductions in government funding, the falling real-terms value of tuition fees, and reduced international demand for UK degrees.
Over the past three years, we have taken significant action to control costs and maintain the University’s financial strength. While these measures have helped us continue to invest in delivering an excellent student experience and support new opportunities, the pressures facing both the sector and the University are set to continue.
In June, after carefully reviewing the size and shape of parts of the University, we opened a formal consultation on proposed changes to staffing across some areas of our academic faculties to better align activities with student demand, research excellence, income growth and long-term financial sustainability.
The consultation concluded in early September. Following feedback from affected staff and Trade Unions, together with voluntary arrangements agreed by some staff, the University achieved nearly all of the required savings, and on this basis, there were no compulsory redundancies in any area where changes were proposed.
The University and College Union (UCU) is the recognised trade union representing many staff – particularly academic staff - working in UK higher education institutions. Its role is to represent members on matters such as pay, working conditions and employment-related issues. Engagement between universities and trade unions, including consultation and negotiation, is a lawful and well-established part of UK employment relations, and trade union activity is conducted within recognised legal and institutional frameworks. At the University of Exeter, we engage regularly with the local Exeter UCU branch on these issues within our local context; additionally, we engage nationally through the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) who represent the University in discussion and negotiations with the national union. Our priority for students will remain the delivery of teaching, learning and student support.
We will keep you informed by email and in University Updates as the situation progresses and will add information to this webpage; however, should you have any immediate concerns or queries, please do email industrialaction@exeter.ac.uk, and we will respond as soon as we can.