UCU (The University and College Union) Sheffield has called for its members to go on strike in response to the university’s controversial cost-cutting measures. The current dispute is a result of the university’s plans to make redundancies, and the increase in workload and depleted work environments that this entails. Sheffield plans to cut at least £5m with redundancies and has made it very clear that it is willing to pursue more cuts and shrink departments. Twenty staff members are currently at risk of facing redundancy, with seven potentially losing their jobs as early as December.
The scale of the proposed changes extends far beyond the immediate redundancies. Various schools such as Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations; History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities; Medicine and Population Health; and English, are expected to face reviews that may lead to further job losses. The schools of East Asian Studies, Chemistry, and Materials Sciences are also facing restructures in early 2026 that are presumed to create compulsory redundancies. This widespread impact has created uncertainty and anxiety across multiple departments, affecting both staff and students who rely on these academic areas for their education and research.
Last academic year, the university promised there would be no compulsory redundancies made before 31st December 2025. Over the past two months, the UCU and the university have had conversations, including attempted negotiation to increase the period of no compulsory redundancies. However, the university’s offer was rejected by the UCU, leading to the breakdown in talks and the subsequent strike action.
The university claims that it cannot agree to the additional claims the UCU is asking for, which include extending the period of no compulsory redundancies and pausing restructures. It claims that this is because of “challenges the higher education sector is facing.” This justification, however, has done little to satisfy union members or alleviate concerns about the future of education quality and working conditions at the institution.
Those who choose to take part will strike over the course of a month, with action scheduled across multiple dates. The strike dates are as follows:
- 17, 18, 19, and 21 of November
- 24, 25, 26, and 27 of November
- 1, 2, 4, and 5 of December
- 9, 10, 11, and 12 of December
According to the University of Sheffield website, the strikes include “not covering for absent colleagues, not rescheduling lectures or classes, not sharing materials relating to lectures or classes, no undertaking voluntary activities, not undertaking duties which are not commensurate with the grade of the post, and not using personal devices to conduct work.” This comprehensive action to work strictly to contract demonstrates the depth of feeling among UCU members about the proposed changes.
I decided to speak to students directly, asking them what they think about the strikes and how they have been impacted. Some asked to remain anonymous, but all were willing to share their honest perspectives on this difficult situation.
A fourth-year student who wishes to remain anonymous said: “I wholeheartedly support workers’ rights to strike. Without strikes we wouldn’t have weekends or minimum wages. I have gone to speak to a couple of professors on the picket line and I do agree with everything they’re saying. It is just frustrating that I’m paying so much money and seeing so little of its use.” This sentiment captures the complex position many students find themselves in; caught between supporting their lecturers and feeling the impact of missed teaching on their expensive degrees.
Jacob, a master’s student who also completed his undergraduate degree at Sheffield, expressed similar conflicted feelings about the situation, understanding both sides of the dispute while grappling with the immediate impact on his studies.
Evie, another student completing her master’s, told me with a hint of dark humor: “I was just pleased to get my birthday off to be honest.”
A student in their third year who asked to remain anonymous provided perhaps the most passionate response: “It’s really frustrating being in my final year and paying all this cash. It’s a time when I really need extra help and instead I’ve got a month of no contact. But, also, I do support the strikes. They’re putting staff on precarious contracts. I’ve had professors I love lose their jobs. The University of Sheffield is like a private equity business. And it’s all symptomatic of late-stage capitalism.” This student’s analysis connects the immediate dispute to broader concerns about the commercialisation of higher education and the precarious nature of academic employment.
Evidently, opinion amongst the students that I spoke to seems relatively streamlined. They are frustrated to be spending so much money on so little, but they also see the importance of strikes and how they can ultimately benefit society. This solidarity between students and striking staff members is notable, particularly given that students are directly impacted by the loss of teaching time and academic support during a crucial period in their studies.
The situation at Sheffield reflects broader tensions within UK higher education, where institutions face financial pressures while students pay record tuition fees and staff face increasing job insecurity. As the strikes continue through December, both the university administration and the UCU will need to find common ground if they are to resolve this dispute and restore stability to the academic community. For now, students and staff alike remain caught in a difficult situation with no clear resolution in sight.
Image credits: Christopher Thomas
