StorySoFar:
- Cuts were announced on 24. November, marking the start of a 90-day 'consultation' period. Plans include 115 redundancies, closure or privatisation of child care, student advice, unisex. This corresponds to a £3m budget cut, with an additional reduction of £5m planned for 2010-2011. The hardest hit schools are Life Sciences, Engineering, Informatics. Management refuse to release details of their plans and the financial situation.
- In December the Stop the Cuts campaign organise a couple of demos and a mass meeting, each with hundreds of students and a smaller number of staff attending.
- In the face of management refusal to modify their plans and remove the threat of compulsory redundancies, UCU propose a 'Unique Solution' to avoid redundancies. It consists in the main of savings through a voluntary reduction of hours.
- An UCU EGM on 27. January decides to give management 48h to withdraw remove the threat of compulsory redundancies and adopt the Unique Solution. Though management express interest in the Unique Solution, they refuse to remove the threat of compulsory redunancies. Procedures for a strike ballot commence.
- 106 students from the Stop the Cuts campaign occupy the conference centre in Bramber House, in support with education workers who are balloting for strike. (8. February) Many expect this to mark the start of a series of student occupations at Sussex and nationally.
- The UCU strike ballot period runs from 12. February to 3. March.
