VLS in FBS and Medicine
Members who attended our General Meeting on 22nd October will recall that we passed by an overwhelming majority a motion instructing officers and committees to mobilise to stop proposed redundancies in the Faculty of Biological Sciences and the School of Medicine. We understand that both areas either have announced, or will shortly announce, to their staff that a voluntary redundancy scheme, known as a Voluntary Leavers Scheme (VLS), has been opened, with a final date of application of 7th December and an earliest leave date of 28th February for those who may choose to leave the University under this scheme. The campus trade unions – UCU, Unison and Unite – are opposed to the launching of this scheme at this time, and have not agreed it. We do not believe that the unions have been meaningfully consulted on this, in accordance with the University’s Organisational Restructure Policy, Meaningful consultation, in our view, requires consultation to happen before a decision has been reached, that sufficient evidence and explanation of the decision be given and that sufficient time be taken so that that explanation can be interrogated and alternatives explored. In this instance, we were presented, with a few days notice of … continue reading