Publishing house staff strike over offshoring plans
Oxford University Press plans to relocate some of its financial operations to India.
Employees at Oxford University Press (OUP), the world's largest university publishing house, have initiated strike action in response to the company's proposal to transfer jobs to India.
Financial staff at OUP, one of the UK's most prominent publishing houses, are protesting plans to outsource their financial operations department to EXL Services, which will deliver these services from the Indian subcontinent.
Over 30 members of Unite the Union began their walkout on Tuesday, with the industrial action scheduled to continue until September 11.
OUP stated that it is engaging in consultations with staff to find a resolution and noted that less than half of the employees affected by the proposed changes voted in favor of the strike.
The publishing house's plan involves relocating nearly 50 positions to India. This follows an earlier announcement in November 2025 regarding 113 redundancies within the UK.
OUP, which is the publishing arm of the University of Oxford, reported a profit of £47.1 million in the most recent financial year.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham criticized OUP's decision to outsource roles to EXL Services, stating, "Oxford University Press' offshoring plan is a classic case of an employer prioritising greed over its hard working staff." She added, "It is an absolute disgrace that it has pushed through this decision and put our members' jobs at risk."
Unite regional officer Naomi Gravett attributed the industrial action entirely to OUP, remarking, "It is a wealthy employer and simply does not need to cut costs by outsourcing our members' jobs abroad."
OUP countered that a majority of the staff impacted by the changes have "accepted the terms offered." The publishing house elaborated, "Colleagues have been offered enhanced redundancy terms as well as opportunities for redeployment and support, including funding for professional development, and a number have secured alternative roles within the Press."
OUP also mentioned providing wellbeing support to staff and stated, "We also have plans in place to minimize any potential disruption to colleagues, customers, or suppliers during this time."