Published: 2nd September, 2025
Leicester University executive has announced a first compulsory redundancy programme for the new academic year—targeting a group of academic-related professional services staff in the Division of Biomedical Services (DBS). Staff from the DBS were invited to a first collective consultation meeting on 18 August. This begins a 90-day consultation period for those staff placed at risk of…
Published: 22nd July, 2025
Part 1: The Case for Industrial Action Part 2: Technical Questions about Industrial Action Part 1: The Case for Industrial Action The university is currently threatening to launch a redundancy programme in November 2025 with the goal of cutting the staffing budget by £11m. Six academic areas have been targeted for potential redundancies — Chemistry;…
Published: 3rd June, 2025
UCU members will have been justifiably alarmed to hear that the following areas have been selected for “pre-change engagement”: Several areas of professional services have also been put in scope: Pre-change is often a prelude to job losses—as was the case in the run-up to the 2021 “Shaping for Excellence” redundancy programme. Indeed, the Vice…
Published: 7th October, 2024
After a full year of genocide in Gaza, the University of Leicester UCU branch is calling on all staff from across the University (whether union members or not) to join us in committing to the principles outlined in the staff Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) pledge below. Please read the pledge and then, if you…
Published: 11th March, 2024
Leicester UCU celebrates last week’s ruling from an Employment Tribunal, that three former colleagues, David Harvie, Geoffrey Lightfoot and Simon Lilley, were unfairly dismissed by the University of Leicester. The three were among the victims, within the School of Business (ULSB), of the “Shaping for Excellence” redundancy programme. The case follows an earlier Tribunal ruling…
Published: 23rd June, 2023
A massive thank you to all those who joined our picket line, and shared solidarity on day one of our local strike action on Wednesday (21 June). This is the first of nine days of local action called in response to the punitive measures currently being undertaken by the management of the University of Leicester….
Published: 14th June, 2023
With the ongoing Marking and Assessment Boycott, some parts of the University will have their processes of progression and graduation delayed. The current Senate regulations allow managers in the University to appoint alternative markers to undermine the MAB, by producing ‘rogue’ marks. We consider rogue marks to be problematic, because they are usually not awarded…
Published: 7th June, 2023
Leicester UCU branch will take strike action as part of the ongoing industrial action over pay and conditions in UK universities. Strike action will occur on these dates: We regret that we have been forced to escalate our action. This reflects the punitive response to our Marking & Assessment Boycott (MAB) by university management and…
Published: 23rd May, 2023
In light of our branch voting to escalate to local strike action, this letter was sent to the Vice Chancellor on 23 May 2023. Response from Nishan Canagarajah, received 31 May 2023