S Poddar
A union is calling on the University of Liverpool to be more transparent after it revealed a voluntary redundancy scheme without details of the level of financial savings needed. Employees have complained about the lack of transparency from the institution about its future intentions.
Mark O’Brien, head of the University and College Union (UCU), expressed annoyance at the refusal of the university to provide information. “They won’t give us a figure, we have pressed them on that,” he stated, insisting on proper communication with staff members.
The university countered by indicating that the voluntary redundancy scheme is one of a number of steps it is taking to secure its long-term financial health. An institution representative reassured staff, stating, “There are no plans for compulsory redundancies at this time.”
Admitting the wider financial challenges across the sector, the representative went on, “The UK higher education sector is experiencing widely reported financial difficulties and, as with many other UK universities, we are presently projecting a modest financial deficit this year.”
The university insists that the scheme is “wholly voluntary” and is not based on any specific savings target. Nevertheless, it anticipates the initiative will make a positive contribution to the financial health of the institution.
“We don’t have any definite targets for total savings from this scheme, but we expect it to make a positive contribution to savings. Details of the scheme have been communicated to our campus trade unions, and points were raised constructively, which have been considered,” the representative said.
In spite of these guarantees, the UCU is still in doubt. O’Brien noted that earlier redundancy plans had all had a clear cost target. “When it has happened before, they give us a figure they are attempting to save from the overall budget,” he said. “They have not done that on this occasion, and we struggle to comprehend why they cannot be more transparent about their intentions.”
The problem of financial instability in higher education is not specific to the University of Liverpool. A report released in November by The Office for Students (OfS) pointed out that many universities in the UK are facing financial challenges.
With the university’s financial plan uncertain, union officials and staff continue to call for more openness. Employees are still worried about long-term consequences, and the union maintains that frank discussion is essential to sustaining trust and employment security. Until then, the absence of a clear financial objective creates doubts about the university’s overall strategy for dealing with its budget woes.
