Uni lecturers plan protest over cuts in posts (East London Advertiser)

12 June 2009, By Mike Brooke

LECTURERS at London Met University protest on Monday (June 15) in their ongoing fight to save hundreds of university posts.

They are lobbying from 4pm the London Metropolitan University's board of governors who meet for 'crunch' talks at the Moorgate campus building.

The university has been hit by Government funding cuts and repayment demands of millions following inaccurate reporting of student numbers completing courses. Its budget has been cut by £15 million a year and a further £36m has to be repaid for previous years.

INQUIRY CALL

The university responded with plans to axe 550 jobs, equaling 800 staff at risk, a-quarter of the workforce.

Members of the University & College Union today (Friday) repeated its calls for an independent public inquiry in to the financial mess at London's biggest university, which has 54,000 students enrolled.

Union general secretary Sally Hunt said: "It's time the university's management faced up to their errors and stopped punishing staff for their mistakes.

"The Government must not shirk its responsibility either-we need a public inquiry."

Lecturers went on strike on May 7. Students also staged an occupation at the Whitechapel campus supporting the lecturers.