UCU announces academic boycott of Brunel University following job cuts

The University and College Union (UCU) has announced an academic boycott of Brunel University London following massive job losses among staff members. 

The UCU announced the boycott on 15 April, expressing concerns that “the future of entire academic departments are under threat”.  

The Union’s higher education committee confirmed its support for the boycott, also referred to as ‘greylisting’ which is the highest level of sanctions the union can enforce.  

As part of the boycott, the UCU urged its members and supporters to take action by “not applying for jobs at Brunel”, “not attending or organising academic or other conferences at the university”, and “not giving talks or lectures at Brunel”. 

There is still time for the university to do the right thing and work with us to avoid unnecessary job losses. We urge the Vice-Chancellor and senior leadership to return to meaningful negotiations

Jo Grady, UCU general secretary

UCU members at Brunel also acted by protesting outside the university against the job cuts. 

The UCU clarified that the boycott could end if the university changes their decision regarding compulsory redundancies, and called for the university to provide transparent financial information, enter collective negotiations, and re-hire those already dismissed. 

Jo Grady, General Secretary of the UCU, stated: “There is still time for the university to do the right thing and work with us to avoid unnecessary job losses. We urge the Vice-Chancellor and senior leadership to return to meaningful negotiations.” 

She continued: “We do not take this step lightly, but Brunel’s continued threat of compulsory redundancies and refusal to engage constructively has left us with no choice.  

The scale of these cuts is an existential threat to whole departments and to the university’s academic standing. The academic community is mobilising, and Brunel must act now to avoid escalating reputational damage.” 

A Brunel spokesperson responded to the UCU, stating: “We strongly refute the statement regarding continued pursuit of mass redundancies […] We acknowledge UCU’s desire to avoid compulsory redundancies altogether, but we cannot responsibility commit to that, given our financial pressures. We have consulted extensively with all unions represented at Brunel and with staff.”