Union staff at Northumbria University ballot for strike action

Union staff members at Northumbria University are set to ballot for strike action as the UCU claim the campus is no longer a safe working enviornment.

As many of 770 students have tested positive for the coronavirus - but face to face lectures have still been taking place.

The UCU Union say:

"University and College Union (UCU) members unanimously voted to ballot for industrial action over Covid health and safety failings, and said Northumbria University vice-chancellor Professor Andrew Wathey must resign immediately, at an emergency online meeting today (Tuesday).

"The meeting was called after Northumbria University refused to address staff concerns about in-person teaching, even though 770 students have tested positive for Covid since returning to campus for the start of term. Northumbria UCU branch has urged the university to move learning online since the summer. It raised concerns that Professor Wathey was encouraging students to move to Newcastle last month, and declared a formal dispute on 24 September after management failed to address serious health and safety concerns.

"The university claimed it is continuing with in-person teaching on campus as it is only at tier 2, in line with government guidelines, despite the 770 Covid cases and local restrictions. Newcastle is one of the worst affected areas in the UK and has seen 1227 new cases over the past seven days."

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘The vice-chancellor has allowed an entirely preventable crisis to take place by encouraging students to move to Newcastle. We now have a massive outbreak, which risks the lives of staff, students and the local community, yet he is still insisting on in-person teaching. He needs to own up to his failings and resign immediately.

‘Our members do not want to take industrial action, but this is a matter of life and death. Unless the university changes course immediately, and moves to online learning as the default position, we will be balloting for industrial action.

‘Government guidelines that allow a university to continue with in-person teaching despite being the site of a massive outbreak, in an area that is already badly affected by Covid, are not fit for purpose. The government needs to stop pretending universities are well prepared for this crisis, and tell them to halt in-person teaching and issue clear guidance to move as much work as possible online, in line with other workplaces.’

A spokesperson for Northumbria University said:

“We acknowledge today’s decision to proceed to a ballot for industrial action by University and College Union (UCU).

“While we are disappointed with this outcome, we wish to continue to work constructively with both our trade unions, consult more widely with colleagues, and continue to discuss any concerns about our approach to learning and teaching.

“Our arrangements for teaching have been informed by the Department for Education’s Tier 2 guidance, a key aim of which is to retain face-to-face teaching where it is clearly beneficial to students and is possible to do so safely. The Government’s expectation is that universities continue to deliver a blended learning approach under the current restrictions. “We will therefore continue to offer a mix of online remote learning with face-to-face teaching on campus for smaller groups under appropriate social distancing measures.

“We will continue to review our position based on the available evidence and informed by consultation with our city partners, Public Health England and other stakeholders in order to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our students, our staff and the wider community.

“We intend to continue to deliver the best possible teaching during any planned industrial action. It is what our students expect. We have made the necessary arrangements to do so safely, in line with Government and Public Health England guidance, and with the endorsement and cooperation of our Students’ Union.”