Proposed cuts to student support services at the University of York will compromise safety and wellbeing, says UNISON today (Monday).
The university is planning to axe services to make savings of £1m, following £14m in earlier budget cuts. The latest proposal includes reducing staff who provide round-the-clock support, including those assisting students in crisis, and safety teams responding to security, first aid, and other incidents.
UNISON says the plan is a false economy that would have a significant impact on the safety of 7,500 students who live on campus, as well as those accessing facilities on campus which are open 24 hours a day.
There would also be cuts to the number of careers staff, placement teams and faculty librarians. Some services will be reduced by up to 50%, says the union.
The proposed changes will result in some campus safety staff losing around £2,500 a year due to shift pattern changes, UNISON says.
Instead of working exclusively at night, these workers would be moved to day shifts at a lower pay rate, also leading to increased costs for childcare and travel, adds the union.
Around 8% of the university’s workforce has already taken voluntary redundancy in the past 12 months, UNISON says, with additional staff planning to leave through other severance schemes this summer.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside area organiser Andy Watkins said: “The impact of these proposed changes on students and staff should not be understated.
“Workers affected by the plans play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young people, many of whom are living away from home for the first time.
“These workers aren’t highly paid as it is. They do difficult jobs to keep students safe because they care.
“It’s vital the university finds another way to save this money.”
Notes:
– Around 272 staff have taken voluntary severance in the past year. The university employs almost 5,300 full-time equivalent staff.
– UNISON research into the financial position of universities across Yorkshire and Humberside is available here.
– The union is running a national campaign calling for fundamental changes to higher education funding, called Fund Our Future.
