http://www.dcscience.net/2014/12/01/publish-and-perish-at-imperial-college-london-the-death-of-stefan-grimm/ Truly worth reading for anyone considering an academic career in the UK.

Love how my supervisor has already retweeted that haha!

Very sad, indeed! Are we ready for this??? HhhhMmmmmmmmmmm, I don't think so.

Very sad. Are we surprised though given how third level institutions have become businesses and how callous and cut throat it can be. Major corrections has indeed had me pondering whether I want to go on with this. I have found it all very bully boy and petty. I have an interview for a decent non-academic job soon and if I get the job I'm going with it. I know the non-academic world is not immune from all of this but there is, I find, a really callous nature sometimes in academia as if it's all an endurance test of some sort and dare you show any perceived 'weakness' then goodbye. What makes it worse for most of us here is we likely have very little money. Is it all worth it? Maybe Stefan Grimm's death will prompt some discussion about the corporatisation of third level. Was third level really different in previous times? I've only known it to be a business in my lifetime.

Such appalling treatment. This is absolutely unacceptable. I hope we will see some change for the better soon.

I hope it does. But I wouldn't hold my breath.

I agree that it's not likely to change any time soon...I'm a postdoc in a Russell Group uni and it's all gone mad. There are all sorts of structural and budget changes coming up and seems as though there will be a new 'performance review' system set up, whereby if you don't bring in a minimum of £150k a year you are under review. Absolute madness, how do they think scientists are actually going to have time to do the science when you have to spend half your time chasing new grants, networking, building collaborations etc?! Not to mention the paperwork, teaching, time spent marking repeats for all the students who fire out any old rubbish that you still have to grade and provide feedback on....
Seems to me there are two choices for those working in niche fields that don't attract large pots of money or who rely on long term datasets for decent papers: 1) take a job a lower ranking uni, where you'll actually have time to do science and research due to lower expectations for grants etc, or 2) Leave academia.
I'm starting to veer towards number 2...

Another example of hiring/firing on the basis of grant income:

Whichever bright spark came up with that idea clearly has no idea of the huge variation in research costs. I've done laboratory work that costs £1000+ per month to do, but I've also worked in analysis of routine data that costs nothing beyond computer+software+salary costs. According to their thinking on of those would keep me hired and the other fired, despite the latter probably being more 'cost-effective'. *facepalm*