Bangor University staff threaten industrial action over possible job losses
Bangor University has luanched a £15m savings consultation and has warned it cannot rule out compulsory redundancy
Bangor University
(Image:)
Bangor University staff are threatening industrial action, including a marking boycott, over possible compulsory redundancies. Last month the university, which has around 2,000 staff, announced a further 78 job losses on top of 200 already announced in February, saying it could not rule out compulsory redundancies as it tries to save £15m.
Now the Bangor branch of the UCU union has won a consultative industrial action ballot of its members describing the management cuts consultation as "a shambles.' Around 55% of the union's membership voted in the ballot, of which 88% of the union branch's academic and professional services staff voted in favour of strike action to avoid compulsory redundancies in 2025.
A consultative ballot, also known as an indicative ballot, is a pre-legal ballot conducted by a trade union to gauge member support for potential industrial action. Unlike a formal strike ballot, it's not legally required and does not mandate action. S i gn up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
But the UCU warned: "This strong showing in this consultative ballot will now mean that the branch can move forwards with a legal ballot of members. If the same results are achieved then they will comfortably win a mandate for strike action and action short of a strike (up to, and including, a marking boycott)."
Professor Edmund Burke, Vice Chancellor of Bangor University, which is running a £15m savings consultation, recently told a Commons committee that this action should mean the 140 year-old institution lasts another century and beyond. On the same day a Senedd committee was told by a union official that there was a real risk that a Welsh university "could collapse"..
The university ended the last academic year £13m in deficit according to its recently published and delayed financial report.
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Staff at the university have spoken of being "worried sick about the forced loss of their livelihood", with hundreds of jobs going and some employees facing compulsory redundancy as university management tries to balance the books.
The university's financial report included warnings from Professor Burke of further financial problems ahead. Bangor University is not alone with a combined deficit of more than £70m expected to be reported by universities in Wales at the end of this academic year.
One staff member from Bangor University's the School of Arts, Culture, and Language said: 'This consultation has been a shambles. All four "business cases" were riddled with inaccuracies, missing data, and were completely inaccessible.
"Communication has been terrible, piling fear and stress on top of an already devastating time. While staff scramble for answers, fearing for their livelihoods, Vice Chancellor Edmund Burke enjoys a £273k salary after a recent pay rise. I voted YES in the UCU consultative ballot. We deserve better.'
A spokesperson for Bangor University UCU said: 'From the start, we told management that the consultation must be paused, the errors fixed, and the documents republished for meaningful engagement to take place. We even provided a collated list of specific issues to help them do this.
"Instead, we were just told that conversations had taken place and clarity had been provided to members at risk – a claim not reflected by our members' experiences.
'It appears that management seem intent on forging ahead with decisions that were made before consultation began. We have a decisive mandate to formally ballot for industrial action and the fact that we won this mandate during two weeks in late June is testament to the strength of anger amongst ordinary staff members. We are ready to defend our red line: no compulsory redundancies.'
The UCU said students have also raised concerns about the impact of the cuts process on their education and wellbeing.
Rose Pugh, Vice-President for Education (2024–25) at the students' union, Undeb Bangor, said: 'In our response to the consultation, we highlighted concerns about the timing and accessibility of the process. Holding it during the exam period meant that many students were unaware of the proposals or unable to engage meaningfully.
"The lack of accessible information and the rushed timeline undermined students' ability to contribute to decisions that will shape their university experience and has had a severe impact on the university's most vulnerable and marginalised students.'
Yakubu Jidda, President 2025–26 of Undeb Bangor, said:'Students deserve to be heard, especially when decisions are being made that could impact their future ... We're particularly concerned about the long-term effects on the quality of education, support services, and the Welsh language provision.
"As we move forward, we urge the university to commit to an inclusive, and student-focused approach to any changes.'
The UCU said If management refuse to rule out compulsory redundancies in 2025, Bangor UCU will decide next steps, which could include a formal industrial ballot and strike action. Unite and Unison branches at Bangor University have also indicated they will pursue ballots, if the university moves to compulsory redundancies, signalling the potential for further disruption.
Gareth Lloyd, UCU Cymru Wales Official said: 'I am proud that Bangor branch managed to win its indicative ballot at a time when many staff will be going on leave. This should give management serious pause for thought. We urge the Vice Chancellor to drop all threats of compulsory redundancy."
Bangor University has been asked to comment.
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