How best to respond when an employer announces job cuts?*

Act quickly

· A strong initial response is needed: going straight to ballot is effective, as it shows we are serious about fighting the redundancies.

· Timing is key – the process takes ages. Work backwards from the expected strike days to ensure optimum starting time for declaring dispute, checking membership records, and balloting.

Remember: the mandate for action in Scotland, Wales, and England is 50% turnout, and a majority in favour of action. Northern Ireland is not subject to the Trade Union Act, where a majority, without the 50% threshold, is required.

· It can be a set-back if 50% threshold (where applicable) is not met;

· Planning, timing and information is key because of people forgetting to vote or deliberately not voting;

· A plan for publicity is needed to support the ballot;

· Winning over those higher up the scale who may be persuaded by different arguments is also important; middle managers can play an important role asked to make cuts locally, push from above and below.

Tools and strategies might include:

· Action short of strike / working to rule;

· Other staff not covering for colleagues who are not taking action;

· Obtain information to support your case: demand the opening of books, prove the need/justification for the cuts, on-staff cuts first, and then look to other options ahead of redundancy;

· Do not start by negotiating on cuts/agreeing the figures or go down a case work route of helping them make redundancies “nicely”.

Finance arm

Having the knowledge and expertise at hand to challenge the institutional narrative will be crucial.

· Discuss the reserves at the university and let your members know about this information - branches (and other staff in the institution!) need this information;

· Look at the Financial Statements (Annual Reports) from the university and then show the information about the Leadership Team salaries and show the savings of the costs of 20% reduction in their salaries, for example;

· Combat management financial cases sharply and in detail. Make use of external experts, e.g. Andrew McGettigan (or someone with similar experience) to go through the accounts. This is key to cutting through the institutional message to reach the various constituencies who may be central to supporting industrial action or other forms of resistance;

· Make a case for reducing senior staff salaries. At the level of a multiplier of lowest paid or at the least a temporary pay cut to help bridge funding problems.

Publicity arm

Communications will be essential, within and outside the branch.

· Get in touch with local media and build media links (make a template press release NOW);

· University Management may try to get the branch’s agreement not to share information, we reject this approach. More information and transparency with members is better;

· Consider the reputational damage being done - it is by management making cuts, not unions responding to defend workers.

Other forms of action

· Active solidarity - meetings with colleagues to keep them informed - make sure we keep building solidarity within branches and counter threats/worries to permanent staff, for example, for supporting casualised colleagues;

· Different groups of workers will be able to help in different ways – where sections are strong, letting management know you mean business;

· Groups taking two weeks of Annual Leave, on the same dates;

·  Strike: aim for important times e.g. REF dates; Admissions; Extraordinary exam boards.
You need to seize every available opportunity for impactful action.

Resisting the cuts nationally

· Keep up pressure for a national campaign to ensure that every university is supported. Both HE & FE sectors   require money from government going forward;

· The Government has started to make concessions - but only to protect research not teaching;

· Use the Convention for Higher Education Statement.

Other resources

· UCU guidance on challenging redundancies;

· Branch Solidarity Network’s activists’ handbook which has sections on fighting redundancies, casualisation and much more;

· Back calls for 30% underpinning of tuition fees (e.g. cut fees to students in England to 6.5K) plus bringing back maintenance grants to working class students, students from low-income families etc;

· Think about the local angle, and lobby MPs, councillors and council leaders, mayors etc.;

·  Approach local schools and NEU branches, and 6th form want to go to university.

*These suggestions are edited summaries of a collaborative working document produced by attendees during the discussion held at the first UCU Solidarity Movement activist meeting.
The unedited document is accessible by clicking here.