Staff at the University of Hull are said to be “shocked and angry” at proposed cuts that could mean a reduction of almost 14 per cent of the workforce, it has been claimed.
The university has announced it needs to make savings of £23m over the next two years, following a drop in income. As a result, Prof Dave Petley, vice-chancellor, has said that this could lead to a reduction in staffing numbers and that the university is in “the early stages of a change process”.
Julie Kelley, the University and College Union (UCU)’s regional official for Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “These shameful proposals from Hull management are a threat to the livelihoods of hard-working staff and would deeply damage the university’s fabric. Staff are shocked and angry at the scale of the proposed cuts and the speed with which management want to implement them, and the union is planning to fight compulsory redundancies every step of the way.
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“The cuts would massively increase academic workloads for remaining staff, while degrading the student experience and the quality of teaching provision. Worse, these proposals come on top of regular rounds of ‘restructuring’ ostensibly meant to put the university on a sustainable footing, most recently including the release of around 110 staff through a voluntary severance scheme.
“If these new cuts are pushed through, that would mean a reduction of nearly 14 per cent in the workforce at Hull. We urge the employer to rule out compulsory redundancies, drop these self-destructive and rushed proposals, and work with UCU constructively over the coming months to find a way forward.”
Prof Petley said: “In common with most universities, we are not exempt from the significant challenges faced by the higher education sector. These challenges include a significant reduction in international student applications, and changes in UK student recruitment application patterns, which have led to a drop in income while other costs continue to rise.
“This means we need to make savings of £23m over two years, across the university. We now need to make some difficult decisions, including reorganising parts of the university, to both maintain our financial sustainability, and to grow and develop.
“In doing so, regretfully, this may lead to a reduction in our staffing numbers. We have spoken to colleagues, and we are at the early stages of a change process, which we expect to complete towards the end of the year.
“I know colleagues have been through change in recent years and I appreciate this is an unsettling time. Our trade union representatives will be involved throughout the process.
“We will do everything we can to support colleagues, encourage them to participate in developing the proposed changes, and listen to their feedback and suggestions.”
A report by the BBC said employees were informed of the University of Hull ’s plans on Monday and that up to 150 jobs could be at risk. It said the proposals include the merger of two faculties and some schools, though the details have not been disclosed.
UCU recently announced that members at the University of Lincoln had voted to take industrial action over drastic cuts to jobs there. A looming threat targets over 220 employees across the university, including one in ten academic staff.