UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea has published a statement of solidarity to all workers being impacted by cuts in higher education.
“UNISON stands in solidarity with all branches and members resisting job cuts and course closures across the higher education sector.
“The proposed plan to make around 200 people (12% of the workforce) redundant at the University of Huddersfield is just one of the more recent examples of university leaders reacting to the austerity currently being forced on higher education workers and students.
“Over the last 14 years, the Conservative government has totally failed to fund higher education properly. Ministers have also done nothing to make up for the real-terms fall in the value of the £9,250 tuition fee. And their anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies have made the UK’s universities less attractive and led to plummeting levels of international students. This has further exacerbated the funding crisis and left many university staff on sub-standard wages and in jobs that are under threat.
“Many universities are now in severe trouble and are trying to offload staff costs through voluntary schemes and compulsory redundancies.
“UNISON is calling for proper state funding for all public services, including universities, with the abolition of tuition fees and the restoration of student grants.
“Students must not end up paying for the shortfall, and whichever party forms the next government will need to address the higher education funding crisis as a matter of urgency.
“The jobs of UNISON members facing redundancy will be defended with the full resources of the union. University leaders should campaign for adequate funding, rather than trying to solve their problems by attacking our members’ jobs and forcing down pay.”
