University and College Union (UCU) members at the University of Nottingham have suspended their two-month strike after voting to accept an improved offer from management in the long-running dispute over job cuts.

The strike began on 5 October and had been due to run until 11 December, but union members voted on 11 November to pause the action while further talks take place, Times Higher Education reported.

What the dispute is about

The dispute centres on the university’s transformation plan, which is set to shed 560 jobs, with some 2,700 staff put at risk. The university has also confirmed it will close its music and modern languages departments, after reducing the expected number of cuts from 608.

UCU said the university’s improved offer contains additional measures to mitigate redundancies. The union said the vote to pause action “reflects the progress made in negotiations but does not end the dispute”.

Months of action

Members had already taken strike action from 30 September to 1 October, and had walked out for the whole of June and July, before the sustained action began in October. The university said the restructuring was needed to address its financial difficulties, including an £85 million deficit in 2024–25.

Further details of the agreement were due to be announced in due course, and the union said negotiations would continue while the strike remains paused.

Source: Times Higher Education; UCU