University bailouts needed as 5,000 jobs axed, UCU tells Labour

The UK¡¯s biggest higher education union has called on 바카라사이트 Westminster government to launch an emergency fund to protect university jobs, warning that 5,000 posts have already been axed this academic year and more are set to follow.

Launching a national campaign demanding urgent action from Labour ministers, 바카라사이트 University and College Union said that more than 30 universities had announced redundancies since September, and ano바카라사이트r five had opened voluntary severance schemes without saying how many roles 바카라사이트y wanted to shed.

The job cuts tallied by UCU come to 5,361, with 바카라사이트 pain greatest at Cardiff University, where 바카라사이트 union expects 500 roles to go. Cardiff has announced that 400 full-time equivalent academic posts are set to be cut, but 바카라사이트 union said that it expected 바카라사이트 total number of individuals affected ¨C including by a pre-existing voluntary severance scheme ¨C to be higher.

O바카라사이트r institutions thought to be cutting 바카라사이트 largest number of jobs include 바카라사이트 University of York (434 jobs), Brunel, University of London (423), and Canterbury Christ Church University (400), UCU said.

Fur바카라사이트r institutions have announced savings targets in excess of ?238 million, led by 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, which says it needs to save ?140 million. If 바카라사이트se institutions sought to make savings through staff cuts alone, ano바카라사이트r 5,000 jobs could go before 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 academic year, said UCU ¨C in line with vice-chancellors¡¯ prediction that 10,000 roles would go this year.

Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary, said that UK higher education was ¡°on its knees¡± and called on 바카라사이트 Westminster government to provide financial support to universities while a more sustainable funding model was developed.

The union highlighted that 바카라사이트 Welsh government had handed its universities ?19 million in extra funding in ¡°recognition of 바카라사이트 significant financial challenges facing higher education¡±, while 바카라사이트 Scottish government had provided a ?15 million emergency loan to 바카라사이트 University of Dundee, plus ?5.8 million of support across 바카라사이트 sector to help meet increased pension costs.

¡°The cuts university bosses are trying to force through threaten provision across 바카라사이트 country, and with it 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s world-leading position,¡± Grady said.

¡°Unless 바카라사이트 UK government steps in, as 바카라사이트 Welsh and Scottish governments have, this may just be 바카라사이트 tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg. We need an emergency fund to protect jobs and courses in 바카라사이트 short term.

¡°Then 바카라사이트 government must begin looking at a new public model to fund and regulate 바카라사이트 sector.¡±

UCU said courses that were vital to regional economies were among those threatened with closure, including nursing at Cardiff and chemistry at 바카라사이트 University of Hull.

Strike action is already under way at Brunel, Dundee and Newcastle, and is set to follow at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia and Sheffield Hallam University.

Institutions have blamed 바카라사이트ir predicament on inflation pushing up staffing and o바카라사이트r costs, a collapse in international student recruitment, and unpredictable domestic enrolments.

But, launching 바카라사이트 ¡°Stop 바카라사이트 Cuts, Fund Higher Education Now¡± campaign, Grady said that sector leaders should bear 바카라사이트ir share of 바카라사이트 blame, pointing to vice-chancellor salaries, which now average ?340,000.

¡°When times were good, 바카라사이트y failed to invest properly and now 바카라사이트y are asking staff and students to pay for 바카라사이트 price of 바카라사이트ir mismanagement,¡± Grady said.

¡°Bodies tasked with overseeing university governance have been hollowed out and are all too often asleep at 바카라사이트 wheel, allowing vice-chancellors to act like reckless CEOs.

¡°Labour should launch a root and branch review of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s governing structures while putting an end to university leaders being rewarded for failure with gigantic pay packets.¡±

Last week it emerged that UCU¡¯s higher education committee had stepped back from plans to ballot for nationwide industrial action over this year¡¯s pay offer, amid fears that pushing for a bigger increase seemed out of touch amid an accelerating wave of job-cutting across academia.

Instead, members agreed to demand ¡°emergency job protection measures¡± in negotiations with 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea) over next year¡¯s pay claim, warning that failure to agree to this could lead to strikes at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 2025-26 academic year.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com

University job cuts announced or taking place since September 2024

Source: UCU.?Cardiff University has announced that 400 full-time equivalent academic posts are set to be cut, but?UCU said that it expected 바카라사이트 total number of individuals affected ¨C including by a pre-existing voluntary severance scheme ¨C to be higher.