Academics set to strike on Uni of Lincoln Open Day

There's set to be a series of picket lines outside the University of Lincoln on Friday 4 July.

Academics are striking over compulsory redundancies, and tell us they don't agree with the direction the university is heading.

The strike coincides with an Open Day, where prospective students will be touring the campus.

Dr Owen Clayton is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lincoln, and Branch Chair of the Union, "there is a sense of of anger and despair," he said.

"At the moment we don't really understand the direction of the university and we don't really feel like we have a say in how the university is run."

"We are going on strike because the university has failed to rule out compulsory redundancies.

"They are claiming that the redundancies are necessary for financial reasons and yet at the same time they are hiring staff in other areas."

This industrial action follows a series of other strikes and two no confidence votes in the university's leadership by the Union.

"Staff are the ones on the ground floor, they are the ones teaching the students, they are the ones doing the research," said Dr Clayton.

"Any successes that the university has is because of the staff," he claimed.

We put Dr Clayton's concerns to the University of Lincoln, they gave this response:

"The changes we are making now respond to growing areas of student demand and the changing needs of our communities.

"This includes the development of our healthcare provision which will deliver a highly skilled NHS workforce in our region. We are also shaping new provision that has the potential to generate income for the University.

"These reforms are key as we, like many other universities, adapt to the new higher education landscape and realise the bright future ahead."