Faced with another ‘restructure’ – cutting nearly 200 jobs including compulsory redundancies – Salford University UCU members have declared enough is enough

The first one day strike yesterday received overwhelming support from members, resulting in short courses and meetings being cancelled.  Eight lively picket lines covered the main entrances to the campus  and the University building at MediaCityUK.

The Students’ Union, Manchester Metropolitan University UCU and Manchester Trades Council joined a protest with banners  outside the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.

Last week the union faced a possible injunction for staging a vigil supporting colleagues threatened with being assessed for their own jobs.  Yesterday, each picket line was watched and reported on for several hours by senior management – including a Pro Vice Chancellor – dressed in high visibility jackets.

Salford has been cutting over 100 jobs every year for the past three years, although in this dispute the union has already won some significant changes on the reorganisation process.  UCU will now go on to take further action, including strikes, until the threat of compulsory redundancy for 25 or so staff is lifted.