London uni accused of 'P&O-style fire-and-rehirings'
The University Colleges Union (UCU) described the move as “wholesale attack on their own staff”
A London University has been accused of planning a “soul-destroying” P&O-style fire-and-rehiring of teaching staff - just months before a planned crackdown on the practice.
Listen to this article
Earlier this week. London South Bank University (LBSU) announced a consultation to alter the contracts of many of its nearly 1,000 teaching staff, watering down pension entitlements, removing workload limits and changing their pay structure.
The University Colleges Union (UCU), which is representing the staff members, fears that those who don’t accept will simply be dismissed and reemployed on the new contract, describing the move as “wholesale attack on their own staff”.
LBSU has denied threatening to fire and rehire its staff but said it was having to take “radical” action given the funding pressures facing the sector.
Deborah, whose name we’ve changed, is one of the affected teachers. She opened up about the “soul-destroying” action taken by the university.
“The way they’ve treated us is absolutely horrific,” Deborah lamented.
“It's a P&O-style stunt. We've not been allowed to ask any questions and have been told there will be no discussion until consultation opens on 14th April.
“I believe, though, the consultation is to tick a box - I don't believe it will actually impact the outcome.”
The practice of fire-and-rehire rose to national attention in 2022 when the British shipping company P&O Ferries sacked 800 of its seafarers and replaced them with lower-paid agency workers.
The government has repeatedly referenced the P&O case in its drive to deliver a new package of employment rights, which was spearheaded in parliament by the then deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner.
New powers will come into effect in October under the Employment Rights Bill, making it significantly harder for employers to fire and rehire workers on worse terms than their existing contracts.
Under the university's proposals, existing workers would move onto a new contract which will see weekly working hours increase with no changes to pay.
New starters would also be prevented from joining the industry standard Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
The union is mulling its response, opening the door to strike action ahead of exam season for the university’s 15,000 students.
Dyfrig Jones, president-elect of the UCU, blasted the university for its “sickening” treatment of its staff.
“They are putting every single academic at South Bank at risk of redundancy. Everybody being told you either move on to inferior terms and conditions or your job is gone.
“This is the worst kind of employment practice. This is fire and rehire and it is destructive. It's a despicable attack on our members and really counterproductive for London South Bank itself.
“The university is burning down its own house here.”
LBSU has pointed to the significant cost pressures in the sector, with figures from 2025 showing 43% of English institutions expected to post a deficit in the financial year 2024/25.
Professor Tara Dean, the Provost at London South Bank University, said: “The challenges facing higher education have forced us to be bold and take a radical approach to meet the needs of our students and secure the university’s long-term future.
“Our proposals protect and elevate our most important activity and bring a sharper focus to the business-critical teaching activities that most directly benefit our students.
“We are also protecting academic roles to focus on what’s most important to our students - delivering the highest quality professional and technical teaching and contact time that we know changes lives.”