Staff protest outside the University of East London

Lecturers at a Docklands university campus today held a protest in a row over workload.

Today’s protest was held outside the university’s Stratford Campus.

The dispute centres around changes to workload agreements allowing managers to set staff workloads without taking into account lecturers’ class sizes and marking loads, according to the union.

The union has warned the move could compromise standards if staff are not given enough time to prepare for lessons, mark papers and provide individual student support.

UCU regional official, Greg Barnett, said: “Planned changes to terms and conditions remove vital protections for our members and will endanger standards as staff are denied the necessary time to mark students’ work.”

Staff will also be stripped of their right of appeal to independent governors if they feel they have been bullied or given unfair workloads, according to the union.

It is understood talks between the union and UEL stalled earlier this month.

UCU branch secretary at UEL, Jacqui Mitchell, said: “Nobody at UEL wants to take strike action and there is still time to reach a negotiated settlement. However, if the university refuses to address our concerns we will go ahead with this action in the autumn.”

A university spokesman said they are in discussion with UCU officials

regarding the dispute. He said: “We’ll continue to do all that is practically possible, through this consultation process, to reach a resolution.

Our overriding priority is to ensure that the student experience remains at the same high level as our students expect and deserve.”