LONDON South Bank University (LSBU) staff have begun a marking and assessment boycott over fire-and-rehire tactics to bypass collective bargaining, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today.

Union members also set to strike during the crucial exam resit week starting next Monday.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “No staff member wants to block students graduating but allowing LSBU management to tear up nationally and locally agreed working conditions, severely degrade student learning and turn a proud institution into a shell of its current self is unthinkable.

“Our members have no choice. We are urging management to pull away from the cliff edge and begin working with us to protect LSBU’s future.”

UCU accused university management of planning to “terminate the contracts of all academic members of staff and pit them against each other in a sham redundancy selection process.”

“It then wants to rehire them onto two separate tracks, ‘teaching and research’ (T&R) and ‘teaching and scholarship’ (T&S), and intends to increase working time without any corresponding pay rise,” a spokesman said.

“All new T&S staff would be employed through a sham company to deny them access to the industry standard Teachers’ Pension Scheme and leave them outside the national pay framework.”

LSBU educates one in four of the city’s nurses and the union believes the cuts will seriously impact the university’s nursing and midwifery provision.

It has called on university management to urgently get round the negotiating table and work to resolve the dispute so students can graduate.

Staff have unanimously backed a motion of no confidence in the vice-chancellor.

LSBU pro vice-chancellor Professor Antony Moss said: “We understand change is difficult, but are disappointed UCU has chosen to announce a marking and assessment boycott and is asking its members to disrupt exam resits and graduations.

“Rather than try to hurt students, we urge the union to help us address the financial challenges we face. LSBU remains open to dialogue with all of our recognised Trade Unions, including the UCU.”