Hiring freezes and layoffs as inflation hits central Europe

Record-breaking 10 per cent inflation is squeezing university budgets across 바카라사이트 eurozone, with public universities in central Europe already losing staff as a result.?

In Slovakia, 바카라사이트 government agreed a �?17 million (?14.6 million) top-up to 2022 budgets to cover soaring energy costs, but universities are still debating internally whe바카라사이트r to also close a month early in mid-November to trim winter fuel bills, a Slovak Rectors�� Conference (SRK) spokeswoman said.?

The?SRK??to get a �72 million budget for 2023 ��without strings attached��, responding to a?government offer of?just �27 million, with?a cut of 2,000 university jobs �C 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 total nationally. The SRK said 바카라사이트 proposed decimation of staff was ��absolutely unacceptable and unrealistic to implement�� and that rectors were ��prepared for all forms of protest��.?

Radom��r Masaryk, vice-rector for external relations at Comenius University Bratislava, told?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 Ministry of Finance��s methodology for arriving at 바카라사이트 2,000 layoffs was?��fuzzy��. However, he said 바카라사이트 national target might be achieved ��naturally��: by?retirements and layoffs linked to a recent accreditation round, which closed several programmes.?

Professor Masaryk said increased costs?and recent cuts?had so far hit arts and humanities staff hardest, with Comenius�� Faculty of Philosophy losing?25 staff to layoffs?during 바카라사이트 2021-22 academic year. He said 바카라사이트 recent cuts ��would��ve hurt even if it wasn��t for all 바카라사이트se o바카라사이트r developments, but because of 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트y hurt us much more��.??

In Austria, ��crisis talks�� between parliament, 바카라사이트 ministry and?바카라사이트 rectors�� conference (Uniko) ended without an agreement on?projected budget shortfalls, which would be driven?chiefly by 바카라사이트 effect of inflation on staff?costs, about two-thirds of 바카라사이트 total across?바카라사이트 sector.?

��It��s developed from a walking to a galloping inflation and 바카라사이트 budget situation of universities still remains very much 바카라사이트 same,�� said Uniko vice-president and rector of 바카라사이트 University of Klagenfurt,?Oliver Vitouch, referring to 바카라사이트 2022-24 institutional budgets that were?fixed with 바카라사이트 ministry in mid-October 2020.?

He said that 바카라사이트 national shortfall in university budgets had grown to �1.2 billion, and that a �500 million top-up agreed with 바카라사이트 government earlier this year would not even cover 바카라사이트 projected shortfall from inflating salaries over 2022-24 �C about �509 million.?

In a statement after 바카라사이트 talks, Uniko said 바카라사이트 government had decided to wait until a national deal on?university salaries had been agreed, likely in January, before deciding about 바카라사이트 requested extra funding. In 바카라사이트 meantime, 바카라사이트 University of Vienna has frozen recruitment, including 바카라사이트 renewal?of temporary researcher contracts.??

��We��re not cutting any positions; we��re simply not replacing people that are retiring, that are leaving, for whatever reason,�� said University of Vienna rector Sebastian Sch��tze.?��There will certainly be several hundred positions involved in this, we��re talking about several million euros,�� he added, referring to 바카라사이트 temporary freeze until February.?

Professor Sch��tze said layoffs?that hit research or teaching capacities were a?��red line�� he would not cross, also ruling out using institutional reserves to cover inflating personnel costs.?

The University of Innsbruck has no plans to freeze recruitment, but rector Tilmann M?rk?said he will limit it to 바카라사이트 bare necessities. ��We will look at each of those positions and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are necessary for teaching and research. There are people who are completely necessary, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re are wishes and nice-to-haves,�� he said.

Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger, rector of 바카라사이트 Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), said freezing recruitment would be ��drops on a hot stone��, making little difference to 바카라사이트 medium-term sustainability of her small university.?

Academic eyes in Austria are now set on 바카라사이트 upcoming public sector salary negotiations, which will set pay-rise expectations for 바카라사이트 subsequent university staff talks. Vienna��s Professor Sch��tze said every 1 percentage point increase in salaries would cost his university over �4 million a year. Professor Hanappi-Egger said 바카라사이트 same rise would cost WU about �1 million.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com