A demonstration took place outside University of Brighton buildings in Grand Parade on Tuesday afternoon as staff members protested against institutional decisions affecting their working conditions.
The gathering, which commenced at 1pm, drew members of the University and College Union alongside Unison representatives who carried signs and banners opposing the management’s course of action.
The demonstration followed revelations that the university’s leadership had communicated plans to terminate existing arrangements with both trade unions.
According to a post published on the social media platform X on Monday by Dr Daniel C.
Blight, a senior lecturer whose expertise spans sociology and art history with a focus on theory and visual culture, the move would allow contractual documents to be ended.
This, he stated, would impact entitlements including annual leave, sick pay, working hours and provisions for maternity and paternity leave.
Staff members who participated in the protest suggested the changes would dismantle two decades of collaborative working between the unions and the university on matters pertaining to workers’ rights.
The demonstration drew intervention from senior figures within the labour movement, with Unison’s general secretary Andrea Egan describing the approach as a poor way to treat employees and warning that annulling established agreements would damage industrial relations while ultimately disadvantaging students.
She noted that university workers remained confused about the rationale behind such measures, expressing that staff simply wished to cultivate optimal learning environments but felt undervalued and undermined.
Liam Kenny, who serves as Unison’s regional manager for the South East, characterised the decision to cease engagement with staff associations as both disappointing and concerning.
He argued that removing the collective voice of workers invested in delivering excellent student experiences would prove severely detrimental to the university’s standing.
Kenny urged the vice chancellor to reconsider the position, engage in dialogue regarding concerns and continue cooperation with the trade unions.
The protest unfolded against a backdrop of broader institutional restructuring being contemplated by the University of Brighton.
The establishment has confirmed it is evaluating options that could result in its Falmer site ceasing operations by 2030 as part of a comprehensive transformation of its property holdings.
The Falmer location represents one of the university’s most substantial campuses and currently delivers programmes across education, sport, health sciences and medicine.
The site, situated on Brighton’s eastern periphery adjacent to the University of Sussex and the Amex Stadium, accommodates over 600 students within its residential facilities.
University representatives maintained that no final determination has been reached concerning the site’s future.
A spokesperson outlined that the institution was examining a preferred option that would consolidate operations across its Moulsecoomb and city centre locations.
The approach, according to the university, aims to establish a more connected and sustainable establishment featuring first-rate amenities, contemporary technology and distinguished spaces for scholarship, investigation, partnership and innovation.
The spokesperson emphasised that the strategy would strengthen ties with the city, its neighbourhoods and local employers.
Regarding the controversy surrounding union relations, the university indicated it had commenced conversations with recognised trade unions regarding future employment frameworks and fresh recognition agreements better suited to the institution’s strategic direction.
The representative stated that the university highly regarded the contribution trade unions make to staff representation and campus life, expressing anticipation for constructive engagement throughout the process.
The objective, the spokesperson explained, involved developing arrangements appropriate for a contemporary higher education institution while enabling greater investment in staff, students and the establishment’s development.
An anonymous member of the university’s workforce described the atmosphere of persistent uncertainty that had developed among employees, citing broader pressures affecting the higher education sector.
The individual noted that following a cycle of voluntary severance measures, staff members continued to operate under the looming prospect of employment losses.
While acknowledging that sector-wide difficulties meant the situation could not be attributed to any single party, the employee observed that the contracting property portfolio contributed to ongoing anxiety about job security.