Manchester University to cut 170 jobs

The University of Manchester has set out plans to axe 171 jobs, leaving more than 900 staff across the affected departments with an uncertain future.

The university has said it wants to cut 140 academic jobs and 31 professional support roles.

Academic job losses will be concentrated in three departments. In the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, 35 posts will be cut from a pool of 104 whose jobs are at risk. In the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, 65 academic jobs are to go with 627 people at risk.

At the Alliance Manchester Business School, which was the recipient of a landmark £15m donation in October 2014 from Lord David Alliance who described it as a “world-class centre for business education”, 40 jobs are to be axed with 104 jobs at risk.

The 31 professional support roles will come from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the National Composites Certification and Evaluation Faculty, the Photon Science Institute and the Directorate of Finance.

The University and College Union (UCU) responded to the announcement by saying there is a lack of economic rationale for the mass redundancies with the university in a strong financial position.

It pointed to data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, which shows the university recorded a £59.7m surplus for the year in 2015/16, after a £19.6m deficit the year before (2014/15). The university’s financial statement revealed it has reserves totalling £1.5bn, of which £430m is cash and immediately available.

It also said that the university is using Brexit and new higher education law as excuses to make short-term cuts that will cause long-term damage and that when setting out its rationale for the redundancies, the university described how its need to “create financial headroom” will be a significant challenge in light of “increased financial, political and sector uncertainty”.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: ‘We see no economic rationale for jobs cuts on such an enormous scale. The University of Manchester is in a strong financial position and we believe it is using recent government policy changes and Brexit as an excuse to make short-term cuts that will cause long-term damage.

“It takes a lot longer to rebuild a department than it does to dismantle one. If the university wishes to maintain its position as one of our leading institutions it needs to rethink plans to sack large numbers of professors, lecturers and support staff to create what it has called “financial headroom”.’

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “The University of Manchester has a bold ambition to be a world leading institution, with a reputation based on academic excellence. In order to meet this ambition, we must improve the quality of our research and student experience in some areas and ensure the financial sustainability of the University. Realising this ambition will require a capacity to invest in our strategic priorities.

“We have detailed plans for significant growth in funds from a range of activities, but we will also need to make cost savings. On 3 May the Board of Governors approved proposals from the senior staff of the University to commence consultation with the Trade Unions in relation to reductions of up to 171 posts.

“The University proposes to open a voluntary severance scheme for staff at risk, to avoid the need for compulsory redundancy if at all possible.”