Lancaster UCU Suspends Industrial Action but Tensions with the University Remain High

Lancaster UCU suspended their industrial action after the University ruled out compulsory redundancies for academics. Less than a week later, they passed a motion of no confidence against Pro Chancellor Alistair Burt.

The Lancaster UCU have suspended their industrial action after Lancaster University ruled out compulsory redundancies for academic staff before 31 July 2026.

The LUCU strikes planned for Thursday 27 and Friday 28 November were suspsended alongside their ongoing action short of a strike (ASOS) following the University’s an- nouncement. As part of its LU Future programme, the University is planning to reduce its payroll by 417 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. The University aim to cut 212 FTE aca- demic staff and 205 FTE from Professional Services.

These cuts would save ~£30m per year and come in response the University’s large predicted deficit next year.

Many UK universities are currently under financial pressure due to a decline in international student numbers. Lancaster University had earlier stated that the use of compulsory redundancy to meet its job reductions target could not be ruled out. Following a stock-take of staff departures, however, they have concluded that no com- pulsory redundancies of academic staff will be needed in the 25/26 academic year.

Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Rebecca Lingwood said:

I’m very pleased we can now reassure students that their studies won’t be disrupted by the in- dustrial action that had been planned, and I appreciate our UCU staff trade union acting so swiftly so we can provide this news.

We have made significant progress towards our savings target, helped by the measures that staff have taken to cut costs. We’ll continue to work to ensure the University operates on a sustain- able financial footing and is able to deliver high quality education and research in line with our mission.

A statement from the LUCU stated that:

This outcome represents a significant and hard-won achievement for members, demon-strating the effectiveness of collective action in defending staff employment and ensuring that educational provision for students is protected.

While compulsory redundancies for academic staff have been withdrawn, LUCU notes that the wider dispute remains ongoing, with fur- ther discussions required on financial planning, governance concerns, and the implications of proposed programme reductions. LUCU will continue to engage constructively with current interim senior management and the incoming VC to address unresolved issues and to improve oversight mechanisms relating to future redundancy proposals.

The branch also reaffirms its full support for professional-services colleagues and stands ready to take the strongest action available should compulsory redundancies be proposed for PS staff during the current financial year.

Just a week after the industrial action was called off, LUCU members voted on a mo- tion of no confidence in the Pro-Chancellor, Alistair Burt. With no votes against, the motion passed with a majority of 92.3%. This motion of no confidence was passed following ‘extensive concerns raised by staff about governance failures, lack of oversight of senior management, and the University’s handling of relocation of staff in FHASS’.

Dr Sunil Banga, speaking on behalf of the branch, has stated that: “The Pro-Chancellor has repeatedly dismissed or ignored serious issues raised by staff representatives, failed to uphold expected standards of transparency and accountability, and shown unwavering trust in university senior management while staff trust has collapsed.

Staff are still reporting significant harm to their health, safety and wellbeing, which has now been reported twice to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). We call for urgent action to restore safe working conditions, rebuild confidence across the University community and ensure governance structures that genuinely serve staff, students and the institution”.

The LUCU branch notes state that ‘interim senior management have proposed cut- ting 480 jobs by July 2026’ which includes 63 academic staff who have left through voluntary severance. Their statement continues, discussing the senior man-agement’s ‘unrestrained and continuing spending on capital and “trophy projects”’ this continues with LUCU reporting ‘governance failures, misleading communications to prospective students, and lack of transparency to the Office for Student (OfS)’.

Many students have raised concern and sadness with their course, with some students experiencing a cut in potential modules. With the changes, staff across the uni- versity ‘have experienced profound and avoidable stress’ as their health and well- being deteriorates as ‘interim senior management, including the Pro-Chan- cellor, who has repeatedly dismissed con- cerns raised by staff representatives’.

Moreover, LUCU states that the Pro-Chancellor ‘has not provided a substantive re- sponse to multiple formal communications from LUCU and has failed to demonstrate effective oversight, transparency, or accountability as required by the CUC Code of Governance and Advance HE guidance’.

LUCU outlines what they believe in regards to their branch notes, stating that ‘the Council has failed to uphold the standards of good governance, oversight, and stakeholder engagement’, as they relate back to the dismissive response to the concerns regarding staff wellbeing, governance fail- ures, and health and safety obligations.

In addition, LUCU states that ‘the Council is ineffective at scrutinising the in- terim executive’s decisions, including the recent decision to cut jobs, instead of addressing non-pay expenditure and adjusting financial metric targets’. This leads into their discussions about the Pro-Chancellor’s ‘unquestioning stance that he “trusts” the executive’ whilst diminishing concerns from staff. LUCU adds that the ‘persistent financial opacity, heavily redacted governance documents, and avoiding meeting with unions’ has resulted in a breach of principles regarding ‘accountability, scrutiny, and stakeholder trust’ that is required of a governing body.

They finish with stating that the Pro-Chancellor has caused ‘irreparably damage’ to staff confidence whilst ‘undermining the integrity and legitimacy of University’s governance’. To end their statement, LUCU outlines their resolutions from their meeting, which includes their no confidence in the Pro-Chancellor as Chair of Council.

They call on the University Council to ‘take immediate steps to restore trust by ensuring transparent governance, meaningful consultation with recognised trade unions, and full compliance with statutory health and safety obligations’, whilst campaigning to be granted ‘a formal seat on Council as a recognised stakeholder voice’.

Asked for comment on the LUCU's motion, the University said:

Lancaster University’s Council members are drawn from the highest levels of leadership including business, the public sector, finance and government. The council operates to high standards in accordance with Higher Educa- tion Code of Governance.Members are independent, and are tasked with examining university data and strategy, and robustly challenging university leadership decision making at every stage. During a time of profound financial challenges across the UK Higher Education sector, they have undertaken their responsibilities with skill and dedication, and acted in the best interests of the University, staff and students.