Redundancy is a major
concern in the education sector.
Unite has clear policy against
compulsory redundancies and is working to defend your jobs and get
the best deal for members facing redundancy. In our experience
there are other ways an employer can act to avoid compulsory
redundancy. These include seeking volunteers, job sharing
arrangements, giving additional time for job changes so that staff
can look outside for roles so aiding more volunteers to come
forward, improving the terms on offer for staff taking voluntary
redundancy and ending contracts with outside agencies. Arrangements
such as those described can free up posts for staff and mean that
compulsory redundancy can be avoided.
A recent survey we conducted indicates
that at least 16 higher education institutions are either planning
potential, or are instigation, job losses via a range of
measures.
Why is redundancy
a concern?
Research Funding
The recent changes to research funding
can force departments to compete for money. Those that can not
compete face cuts in research and support staff. Unite believes a
false market is being created and argues that changes in research
funding should not be made if it disadvantages existing funding
regimes.
Job Evaluation
Several universities have claimed that
job evaluation could lead to redundancies to cover the extra costs
incurred - Unite rejects this as the cost of implementation of
job evaluation has been assisted by the relevant funding councils.
Also the effects of job evaluation are based on statutory
requirements to implement equal pay. There are many cost cutting
measures that should be looked at without enforcing compulsory
redundancies.
Skills
The skills needs of the sector has
been changing but the investment in highly skilled support staff
has not followed suit. Unite has made submissions to Government
arguing for the need to improve training and opportunities in those
areas with recognised skill shortages. For instance some
technicians need to be re-skilled or recruited for those areas that
need highly qualified technicians.
Fixed-Term Contracts
There is an increasing trend of
fixed-term contracts for university staff. University senior
administrators seek to solve funding and skill shortages by the use
of temporary or fixed term staff. The costs associated with this
short term myopia in additional recruitment costs or failure to
retain skills only exacerbates the funding crisis that senior
administrators sought to resolve in the first place. A better model
uses properly planned workforce assessment rather than short term
palliatives.
Departmental Cuts
The false market in education
brought on by student fee competition and RAE grading has meant
that some courses are viewed as uneconomically viable. Departments
have been facing cuts e.g. in Reading, Exeter, Swansea Southampton
and Sussex.
Click on the links below to find out more about the issue and
what you can do.
