Liverpool Hope exam timetable at risk as university rejects union's restructure proposals
15 April 2011
Further industrial action looks on the cards at Liverpool Hope University after the university rejected proposals from UCU for a more measured approach to significant funding changes.
UCU said today that it was disappointed that the university had rejected the union's proposals to stagger staffing changes in its teacher education provision and that industrial action that could disrupt students' exams was being seriously considered by its members at Liverpool Hope University.
The union says that the institution is reacting too quickly to changes to how teacher training will be funded in the future. The changes to move a lot of teacher training from universities to schools will not take place until 2012/13 and the union had set out plans to stagger voluntary redundancy packages and staff leaving.
UCU says that although the university will lose some funding from the Training and Development Agency (TDA) this year, it should not rush ahead with widespread job cuts that could damage the reputation of the institution and quality of the teaching it offers. The university will only find out in June what level of tuition fee it can charge students for the 2012/13 academic year.
UCU regional official, Martyn Moss, said: 'The union is not blind to the difficulties faced by Liverpool Hope. Liverpool Hope is not the only university facing these challenges, but it is the only one moving at this pace to try and sack staff. We put forward sensible counter proposals that would allow the university to properly manage changes that are not due until the 2012/13 academic year.
'We want to see a sensible resolution to this dispute, but we simply do not accept that the university has to move at this pace, or that it is in the interests of staff, students or the university's reputation. That is why UCU members at Liverpool Hope are prepared to take further industrial action if the university refuses to reconsider.'
The union says that the institution is reacting too quickly to changes to how teacher training will be funded in the future. The changes to move a lot of teacher training from universities to schools will not take place until 2012/13 and the union had set out plans to stagger voluntary redundancy packages and staff leaving.
UCU says that although the university will lose some funding from the Training and Development Agency (TDA) this year, it should not rush ahead with widespread job cuts that could damage the reputation of the institution and quality of the teaching it offers. The university will only find out in June what level of tuition fee it can charge students for the 2012/13 academic year.
UCU regional official, Martyn Moss, said: 'The union is not blind to the difficulties faced by Liverpool Hope. Liverpool Hope is not the only university facing these challenges, but it is the only one moving at this pace to try and sack staff. We put forward sensible counter proposals that would allow the university to properly manage changes that are not due until the 2012/13 academic year.
'We want to see a sensible resolution to this dispute, but we simply do not accept that the university has to move at this pace, or that it is in the interests of staff, students or the university's reputation. That is why UCU members at Liverpool Hope are prepared to take further industrial action if the university refuses to reconsider.'
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