Staff at Oxford University Press are preparing to stage industrial action next month as part of a dispute over job cuts that union officials have described as a significant workforce reduction, with approximately 50 positions being moved to India.
Over 30 Unite union members are scheduled to take part in the September strikes following the company’s decision to transfer its finance operations unit to external provider EXL Services.
The outsourced work will be carried out from India, prompting union concerns that existing worker protections under employment transfer legislation may not extend to the new arrangement, given the impossibility of transferring staff to that country.
This development follows an announcement made by Oxford University Press last November outlining plans to eliminate 113 positions across the United Kingdom, primarily impacting its educational publishing and English language teaching operations.
When approached for confirmation regarding the implementation of those redundancy plans, the company declined to provide specifics.
Separately, the publisher recently completed its acquisition of Swiss publishing house Karger, subsequently axing 76 posts in what union representatives describe as a significant workforce reduction.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said that Oxford University Press’s offshoring approach demonstrates an employer placing commercial interests above loyal employees.
She described the push-through of this decision and the consequent job insecurity as thoroughly unacceptable, indicating the union’s full commitment to defending its members’ employment.
The union has confirmed that the initial strike period will run from Tuesday, September 1 through to Friday, September 11.
An Oxford University Press representative said that the organisation remains dedicated to engaging in consultation with staff members to achieve a satisfactory conclusion.
The company indicated that measures have been implemented to limit any potential impact on workers, customers, and supply chain partners.
Unite regional officer Naomi Gravett said that responsibility for the strikes rests entirely with Oxford University Press.
She noted that these plans represent the most recent instance of a pattern in which the company consistently prioritises financial returns over employee welfare, adding that as a prosperous organisation, there is no genuine requirement to reduce expenses by dispatching members’ employment overseas.
Oxford University Press holds the distinction of being the world’s largest university press and originally received its royal charter authorising book printing in 1586.
The centuries-old printing heritage of the press, surpassed in age only by Cambridge University Press established approximately half a century earlier, concluded in 2021 when the final remnant of its printing operations through Oxuniprint ceased functioning.
That closure resulted in 20 position losses, with the company citing sustained sales decreases compounded by the coronavirus pandemic as contributing factors.
In February 2022, it was announced that the Oxford University Press retail outlet on Oxford High Street would remain permanently closed, having ceased trading when the initial lockdown measures were implemented in March two years prior.
Subsequently, in September 2024, nearly 20 employees at the company’s American operations were made redundant, encompassing the entire North America Design Team alongside the United States Content Transformation and Standards Team.
According to the most recent available official filings, Oxford University Press reported annual profits of £47.1 million for the 2025/26 financial period, with cash reserves standing at £329.5 million.