A number of staff members at Queen Mary University in London have resigned citing working conditions and management's approach to strikes. While not all of the resignations are related to

the current round of national strikes called by the University and College Union (UCU), some former staff members have specifically mentioned management's response to striking staff as a factor in their departure.

The most recent to resign is Professor Laleh Khalili, a politics professor who handed in her notice this month. She cited the use of a "snitch form" where students are asked to tell management if strikes are discussed in class as the "final straw". She called it "unacceptable" and a "violation of our academic freedoms". A university spokesman said its priority was to protect students' education and that it fully respected the right of staff to partake in ongoing strike action.

James Eastwood, Co-Chair of the Queen Mary UCU Branch, accused the university of using "incredibly sinister" tactics in the ongoing row over pay, working conditions, and pensions. Photo by Paul the Archivist, Wikimedia commons.