UCU calls on Teesside University to rethink job cuts plans

Proposals announced this week say that the university intends to delete 39 Principal Lecturer posts across four different schools. Principal Lecturers are senior academics who whilst still carry out teaching are often focused more on research. 

Those currently in post will be forced to reapply for their jobs, take voluntary redundancy by the end of this month or face being made compulsorily redundant.  

The restructure and redundancies will impact the following departments: 

• International Business School  
• School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies
• School of Health and Life Sciences  
• School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law/School of Arts and Creative Industries  

Across the four departments, at least 14 roles are set to disappear altogether as the restructure will only result in 25 new roles, and the remaining staff will be expected to pick up the inevitable extra workload.  

The union said the university needs to rethink its current plans and work with them to avoid compulsory redundancies. 

At meeting at the university yesterday UCU members expressed their solidarity with those under threat of losing their livelihoods. UCU Teesside branch chair Terry Murphy said: 'Between them, the Principal Lecturers under threat have years of experience in the sector. These are not people that we can lose lightly and without consequence.'   

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'Teesside University must urgently rethink these plans and work with us to find an alternative to job losses. Management needs to allow time for genuine negotiations, or risk serious disruption on campus at a crucial time of year.'