Staff at Brunel University staging a one-day strike today over planned redundancies received a message of support from the Australian university once headed by its vice-chancellor, Steven Schwartz.
In a statement, members of the National Tertiary Education union at Murdoch University in Perth pledged their "solidarity to union members at Brunel University engaged in industrial action to reverse management's decisions and actions concerning forced redundancies".
Professor Schwartz was vice-chancellor at Murdoch between 1996 and 2001, where he set in motion an ambitious remodelling programme. By the end of his time at the university, staff had issued a vote of no confidence in him.
Today's strike, organised by members of the Association of University Teachers (AUT), is in protest over the university's decision to axe 50 jobs in its bid to become a research-led institution before the next research assessment exercise, expected in 2008. Some of the redundancies, which are expected to affect lecturers who are not considered 'research active', could be compulsory.
Despite the threat of losing a day's pay for each day of protest, the AUT plans to continue its campus disruption with action short of a strike, which will include a boycott of assessment and exams, as well as a refusal to cover for absent colleagues. Members have not ruled out "greylisting", which would encourage a worldwide boycott of the university.
The AUT maintains that management has refused to reopen negotiations over the job losses, and claims that they visited the picket line today to take notes, rather than engage in dialogue.
Peter Mitchell, the AUT's assistant general secretary for London region, said: "Once again the university's response has been not to talk but to seek to intimidate its own staff. That in itself tells you all you need to know about the management style introduced to Brunel by its vice-chancellor, Steven Schwartz."
The general secretary of the AUT, Sally Hunt, has today written to Professor Schwartz urging the university to return to talks. The letter also calls on the vice-chancellor to withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies and docked pay. Ms Hunt stressed the AUT was prepared to use all means at its disposal to ensure the fair treatment of its members at Brunel.
The association's lawyers have already written to the vice-chancellor, threatening legal action should staff appointed before November 20 1987, and not subsequently promoted, be given compulsory redundancy notices.
The university has said it has not made any decisions about compulsory redundancies and hoped to reach voluntary redundancy agreements for all those involved.
The redundancies are part of the university's grand plans for expansion, which includes a £160m investment in facilities. Professor Schwartz insists the redundancies, announced in September, would not lead to a reduction in staff numbers, and is in the process of recruiting 90 new staff who will conduct more research.
