Falmouth University has said it is “deeply disappointed” with an announced walkout of some of its academic staff in a dispute over employment terms and conditions.
The University and College Union (UCU) said on Tuesday some of its members who are lecturers and researchers at the Cornish university had voted to strike for three days later this month, following a decision by the university to employ all new academic staff through a subsidiary company, Falmouth Staffing Ltd (FSL).
In a statement on Wednesday a spokesperson for Falmouth University said the institution had taken steps to protect it’s future, amid “challenging economic conditions”.
A spokesperson for Falmouth University said: “We are deeply disappointed that this action has been declared while the University was still in communication with the UCU and working to find a resolution.
“We hope that the disruption will be manageable and that our students’ academic experience will not be severely affected.
“In challenging economic conditions, with a specific squeeze on small, specialist institutions like Falmouth, we must take steps to protect Falmouth’s financial future, the student experience and financial security for all our employees.
“It is important to be clear that the new pension arrangements for new joiners are highly competitive, with employer contribution rates much higher than the UK average. There will be no differences to other terms and conditions or trade union recognition beyond pension eligibility compared with existing staff.
“We will continue our conversations with UCU and will keep staff and students informed.”
UCU had said the proposed "two-tier workforce" arrangement would “make it harder” for it to represent members in FSL, describing it as “the beginning of an attack on hard-won national agreements.”
UCU said as a result of the move all new academic staff employed at Falmouth University since September 2021 had been denied access to the Teacher’s Pension Scheme (TPS) and forced onto a “vastly inferior” private pension.
The union said new staff risked losing “continuity of service” as they move to or from other modern academic institutions, adding no other university in the South West region was making a similar arrangement.
UCU said 90% of members who voted had been in favour of strike action, which is set to take place over three consecutive days, from Monday, October 17, until Wednesday, October 19.
Read next:
- Cornwall gaming studio to create jobs after major investment
- Cornish drinks brand to create jobs after toasting major investment
- Cornwall firm raises £1m for washing machine tech to combat ocean plastic
- Cornwall’s Hub Box burger chain expands into Dorset, creating 25 jobs
Like this story? Why not sign up to get the latest South West business news straight to your inbox.
