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TWO unions joined forces yesterday to resist plans by the Open University (OU) to shed almost 500 staff and close seven regional centres, writes Pete Lazenby.
Lecturers’ union UCU and public-sector union Unison launched a petition against the cuts.
UCU members at the university also pledged to “oppose this decision using every means at our disposal up to and including industrial action.”
They say the sackings and closures will hit students with disabilities particularly hard as they rely on regional centres for disability support.
The OU has 19,000 students with disabilities needing support “face-to-face and in the locality” and employs 1,000 full-time academic staff and 2,500 administrative staff.
UCU Open University branch president Pauline Collins said that in an internal consultation: “OU students told the university that they are not just ‘cyber-students.’
“They value personal connections, the opportunities regional centres afford for meetings, networking and looking at study materials, and the OU’s long-standing commitment to the English regions.
“Again, I have to repeat that the UCU branch of the Open University will oppose this decision using every means at our disposal up to and including industrial action.”
