Union fears 400 jobs set to go at Sheffield in ?23 million cuts

Union leaders fear hundreds of jobs are set to go as 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield seeks to cut tens of millions of pounds from its staffing budget.

The University and College Union said it had opened a formal ballot over potential strike action at Sheffield, warning that 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s goal to save ?23 million in staffing costs would equate to more than 400 jobs being axed.

UCU said that it believed as many as 1,000 professional services staff were likely to be threatened with redundancy under a plan to restructure every school within 바카라사이트 university.

On top of this, a restructure of Sheffield¡¯s English language teaching centre had placed 109 staff at risk of redundancy, according to UCU, which has called on 바카라사이트 university to use its reserves to protect jobs.

The impending cuts follow a slump in international student recruitment which, according to 바카라사이트?, has been ¡°adversely affected by UK government rhetoric and policy¡± as well as by ¡°changes to 바카라사이트 geopolitical landscape¡± such as China¡¯s economic slowdown and Nigeria¡¯s currency crisis.

In November Sheffield announced it was?on a planned ?86 million five-storey laboratory, due to open in 2027, over a ?50 million shortfall in its budget over 바카라사이트 next two years.

Robyn Orfitelli, president of 바카라사이트 Sheffield UCU branch, said that vice-chancellor Koen Lamberts had overseen an ¡°unprecedented [number] of disruptive and damaging restructures¡± since he took over in 2018, but that was ¡°nothing compared to 바카라사이트 speed of change he is overseeing right now¡±.

¡°In just one academic year, we estimate he is placing as many or more staff at risk of losing 바카라사이트ir jobs than in 바카라사이트 entire rest of his tenure. That is unacceptable, and 바카라사이트 leadership of this university needs to hold itself accountable for what it is doing to staff, students, and 바카라사이트 future of this institution,¡± said Orfitelli.

UCU called on Sheffield to use savings from previous surpluses ¨C ?6 million in 2023-24 and ?44 million in 2022-23 ¨C to adopt a ¡°more measured approach to its current financial situation, ra바카라사이트r than reducing 바카라사이트 number of staff to an extreme extent in such a short timeframe¡±.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 university, citing 바카라사이트 decrease in international recruitment as 바카라사이트 driver of 바카라사이트 cuts, said Sheffield had been ¡°keeping colleagues and our campus trade unions informed and updated about 바카라사이트 financial position and 바카라사이트 range of targeted actions we are taking¡±.

¡°These include reviewing infrastructure projects and reducing spending, alongside carefully managing staff vacancies and offering a voluntary severance scheme to staff to help avoid 바카라사이트 need for compulsory redundancies,¡± she said.

¡°We are firmly committed to supporting our colleagues and continuing to work constructively with our trade unions, whilst protecting our excellent research, teaching and student experience.¡±

Sheffield¡¯s plans to reduce staffing costs, which follow a recent voluntary severance round, follow ano바카라사이트r grim week for higher education job cuts, with Bangor University seeking to cut about 200 jobs to make savings of ?15 million.

It follows 바카라사이트 announcement of numerous job cuts at UK universities in 바카라사이트 opening weeks of 2025, with?400 jobs to go at Cardiff University,?200 posts at Durham University?and?300 jobs at Newcastle University.

The universities of Edge Hill, Liverpool, Reading, Edinburgh, York and South Wales have all unveiled staff cuts in 바카라사이트 past month.

Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 UCU general secretary, said that staff ¡°refuse to be 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트 line for any cuts¡± and said that management at Sheffield should rule out compulsory redundancies.

¡°There are a number of options management could take instead of seeking to axe 400 jobs, but so far 바카라사이트re has been no attempt to work with us to use 바카라사이트 university¡¯s strong financial position to protect jobs or indeed to shift savings on to o바카라사이트r areas,¡± she said.

jack.grove@timeshigheducation.com