Aberdeen University staff and students on 'devastating' job cuts

In a letter sent to staff this week by principal Peter Edwards and interim senior governor Gary McRae, the university admitted that "compulsory redundancies cannot be ruled out in the future" though said this would be a last resort.

Based on the university's modelling, the total number of job losses could be up to 111.

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Professor Gerhard Kling, Chair in Finance at the University's business school said: "Management should be asked to explain why a forecast surplus, substantial cash headroom, and savings already exceeding the target are being used to justify compulsory job losses."

Co-chair of the University and College Union’s Aberdeen branch, Dan Cutts said:  “This is absolutely devastating for the workforce.

"There is a lot of anger, distress and worry amongst our members who have been working tirelessly to support their students.

“Our members are baffled as to why senior management are choosing to make these drastic job cuts when the University’s financial situation has improved and they report we are in surplus.

"Management plans are illogical and will be damaging to the student experience here at Aberdeen University.

“UCU will be gauging the feelings of our membership over the next few days and there is no doubt that our union will be fighting back against these devastating cuts”.

Mr Cutts said he'd had staff in tears after receiving the news, but said staff, who have already taken part in 14 days of industrial action this year, had received the support of students.

Sophie, an Archaeology MA student told The Herald she has been participating in the strikes: "They didn't really listen to anything that the people were saying. It is just all about the administration and the money, not about the people.

"I was just speaking to my friend whose course will now be cut. If she wasn't able to do it I would have never met her, but also it stops you studying something that interests you."

Luke Eveling, a second year Politics and International Relations student: "As humanities students, we really feel the effects of it. It is disappointing that our university experience is marred by decisions that we don't have a say in. Why do we have to suffer?"

Finn Kemlo, a fourth year Law student expressed his solidarity with the staff: “I’ve benefitted substantially from the hard work and dedication of the university lecturers, so the thought that some of them will be forced out of a job is quite uncomfortable.” 

UCU general secretary, Jo Grady said:  “These job cuts will be damaging to the student experience and the reputation of the university.  UCU members at Aberdeen have already demonstrated their strong opposition to this slash and burn approach.

"We know our members will continue to challenge more job cuts and we urge the employer to find more sustainable solutions rather than further job losses."

Professor Edwards said: "Decisive action is needed to protect the future of our university and allow us to return to a more stable footing to grow and succeed in a way that meets the needs of the communities we serve."

A spokesperson from Universities Scotland said: "It would be inappropriate for us to comment on individual institutions, but the grim reality is that universities are facing an incredibly challenging mix of rising costs, set against both falling and highly volatile sources of income, domestically and internationally.

"More than half of our universities were forecast to be in deficit this year, even before the full economic shock of recent geopolitical events take effect.

"That requires governing bodies to take hard decisions in order to keep the institution financially sustainable."