50 signatures reached
To: UHI Senior Executive Team and the Chair of UHI Court
SAVE UHI - STOP THE CUTS
Dear Senior Executive Team and Chair of UHI Court,
The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) has announced that plans to make 16 posts redundant at its Executive Office (EO) in an attempts to make £2 million of savings. This is the second round of compulsory redundancies in the last two years with several rounds of voluntary severance occurring within this period. Workloads at UHI are already overwhelming for staff, and further cuts will exacerbate this situation. This also indicates a reliance on staff cuts to plug a constant deficit – this is not a sustainable solution, and it weakens our university.
The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) has announced that plans to make 16 posts redundant at its Executive Office (EO) in an attempts to make £2 million of savings. This is the second round of compulsory redundancies in the last two years with several rounds of voluntary severance occurring within this period. Workloads at UHI are already overwhelming for staff, and further cuts will exacerbate this situation. This also indicates a reliance on staff cuts to plug a constant deficit – this is not a sustainable solution, and it weakens our university.
As the recognised trade union, we have been negotiating with you and pushing for alternative ways to save money to be considered. We are concerned that 16 posts will not deliver £2m in savings, raising the risk of further job losses down the line.
The proposed cuts would be devastating to staff and students at UHI - not only to those losing their livelihoods at a time when academic jobs elsewhere are unavailable, but also to those who would shoulder the burden of even higher workloads.
This dispute is about saving jobs and protecting tertiary education provision in the Highlands and Islands. Compulsory redundancies are counterproductive and will pose a serious threat to the student experience and the sustainability of the university. Some staff may lose their jobs which will be devastating for individuals and their families. These redundancies will have a damaging impact upon the university’s reputation and its own 2030 strategy (https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/t4-media/one-web/university/about-uhi/facts-and-figures/publications/pdfs/uhi-strategic-plan-2030.pdf), as well as impacting our local communities across the region.
This is a worrying time for students, and we are deeply concerned at the impact the proposed job cuts will have on their student experience. We will continue to raise our concerns and be clear that their education and the quality of the research and learning environment is of the utmost importance.
The impact will be substantial:
- Unemployment at a time when the job market is difficult and the cost-of-living crisis is causing enormous hardship
- Higher workloads for those who remain in post
- Poorer service for students
- Poorer research outcomes
- Negative impact on EDI
The university is also undertaking a transformation project to review the structure of our academic partnership across the Highlands and Islands, and it is critical that there are no staff cuts before this project is concluded. UHI is a valued and respected educational institution in the Highlands and Islands region, with a hugely important role to play in keeping and educating people within the local area. Staff employed at UHI EO provide critical functions like student support, finance, and ensuring academic quality as well as academic and research functions in areas such as nursing, optometry, history, biomedical sciences, and rural health and wellbeing. They also support our 10 Academic partners across the region and we run the risk of losing valuable and talented staff who could help support the transformation of the university.
We want UHI to thrive, and we want to support investment in the University and ensure its sustainability. We want the employer to commit to no compulsory redundancies, and to work with staff to develop progressive methods for ensuring the institution’s financial wellbeing.
We believe that the university could make savings through other voluntary means and cost saving initiatives, but the response from senior management has been to refuse these demands. Consideration should be given to work with our academic partners and other universities facing financial hardship to look at best practice in achieving cost savings that do not involve staff cuts.
UHI UCU has written to Principal Nairn seeking assurances that there will be no compulsory redundancies, but the response from senior management has been to refuse this demand. We now have no choice but to campaign against these job cuts, including taking industrial action if necessary.
UHI UCU has written to Principal Nairn seeking assurances that there will be no compulsory redundancies, but the response from senior management has been to refuse this demand. We now have no choice but to campaign against these job cuts, including taking industrial action if necessary.
We are asking those who support us to sign this petition to show their support and help us stand against the proposed cuts. We urge all parties to come together – including UHI senior managers, staff, trade unions, the students' association, and the Scottish Funding Council -- to find a sustainable solution to address UHI’s financial issues without resorting to mass layoffs or any disruption to our students’ education.
We remain committed to working with the university to secure financial stability that does not involve cutting staff and will ultimately lead to a brighter future for our students.
We remain committed to working with the university to secure financial stability that does not involve cutting staff and will ultimately lead to a brighter future for our students.
Why is this important?
The University announced on Wednesday 20 August plans to put 16 roles in the university's Executive Office (EO) at risk of compulsory redundancy to save £2 million.
This announcement comes only 2 years after the last round of compulsory redundancies which sought to make £3 million savings, with several rounds of Voluntary Severance within that period. Cuts of this scale will have a devastating impact on those individuals losing their jobs and their families, but also on the future of the University and the Highlands and Islands’. It also indicates a reliance on staff cuts to plug a constant deficit. This is not a sustainable solution and is weakening our university.
Many of the staff employed by EO are in roles which deliver critical functions like student support, student experience, finance, and ensuring academic quality. Jobs are also threatened in the University’s academic and research functions.
Please join us in fighting back against these cuts which will have a devastating impact on education across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and on the student experience of the students studying with us.
This announcement comes only 2 years after the last round of compulsory redundancies which sought to make £3 million savings, with several rounds of Voluntary Severance within that period. Cuts of this scale will have a devastating impact on those individuals losing their jobs and their families, but also on the future of the University and the Highlands and Islands’. It also indicates a reliance on staff cuts to plug a constant deficit. This is not a sustainable solution and is weakening our university.
Many of the staff employed by EO are in roles which deliver critical functions like student support, student experience, finance, and ensuring academic quality. Jobs are also threatened in the University’s academic and research functions.
Please join us in fighting back against these cuts which will have a devastating impact on education across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and on the student experience of the students studying with us.