21st of May 2024
To the Vice Chancellor and Chair of University Council
We, members of the recognised University of Huddersfield unions, are writing to express our protest against the proposed staff redundancies. Our demands are that the management of the University commits to:
- A meeting between the SU, UCU and UNISON representatives and the Chair of University Council at the earliest opportunity,
- No compulsory staff redundancies,
- An enhanced voluntary redundancy scheme,
- A meaningful and democratic consultation about the strategies to address the financial situation of the University as outlined in the formal dispute letters sent by UNISON and UCU branches to the Vice Chancellor.
The University staff and students are exhausted after years of redundancies. Redundancies have become the default and annually applied approach to balancing the University’s books. However, none of the redundancy rounds so far delivered financial stability. On the contrary, staff cuts are becoming more brutal every year.
The conditions of work in the University have become intolerable. Staff have no job security. The staffing policy is erratic, destroying institutional knowledge and workplace community necessary for operating in increasingly complex environment. Working conditions are also becoming dangerous, with the University defaulting on its legal obligation to protect staff from harm. While staff achieve the impossible to deliver quality student learning experiences, many are at or beyond breaking point due to intensifying workloads. The management have not presented any meaningful workload management plans for the coming academic year.
Students are also suffering. Course changes and closures mean that the overall experience and the specific module offer to students is becoming poorer. Staff departures have already resulted in a shrinking number of specialist modules on some courses. The decrease in the numbers of professional services staff makes these services less accessible to students. Postgraduate research students have no stability in their supervisory teams which greatly impacts their ability to complete their projects. Applicants to the University can never be assured that their desired courses will run.
We, students and staff, have no trust in the efficacy of the strategic and financial management of the University. For years, the management sat on bank cash balances that exceeded £80 million. Despite unions’ call to invest this cash into staff and course development, this money was not put to use until this year. Still, the present investment targets a narrow range of courses while the majority of other areas are severely under-resourced. There is no vision of the future except the development of a narrow range of health courses linked to the two new buildings. Staff are not given meaningful time to develop their courses and increase student recruitment.
It is time to stop the management that ignores any factors not quantified on financial spreadsheets. Sliding University reputation and eroded staff and student goodwill matter greatly. Staff are not mere cost units and students are not mere income units. We are the people who make up the University. It is time for you, the Vice Chancellor and the University Council, to turn your attention to our voices and needs.
We look forward to your reply within three working days.
Taha Khan, Huddersfield SU President
Wamick Aijaz, Huddersfield SU Equalities Officer, and incoming President
Diana Sirnikova, Huddersfield SU Education Officer
Rohith Narayan, Huddersfield SU Activities Officer
Gary Allen, Huddersfield UCU Branch Chair
Anna Zueva, Huddersfield UCU Branch Secretary
Stephen Howe, Huddersfield UNISON Branch Secretary
Megan Barford, Huddersfield UCU Branch Chair
HudUCU 