171 University of Salford staff at risk as university announces more job cuts

The trade unions representing staff at Salford - UCU and Unison - say they are furious that the latest round of job cuts (the 12th at Salford in the past 18 months) are being carried out under inferior terms and conditions that the university has imposed on staff.

The new terms allow only a 45-day consultation period for those affected by the job losses (slashed down from the previous 90 days). Staff with a month's notice period in their contracts face being out of work by July.

The losses will hit seven departments including finance, governance services, human resources, IT and the library, which will be the hardest hit with 108 jobs at risk of which around 55 could go. The unions said the latest cuts were another devastating blow for a workforce already left demoralised by the university's previous rounds of cuts.

UCU regional official, Martyn Moss, said: 'The University of Salford has the unenviable tag as Britain's most prolific university for axing staff. Such an ad hoc and clearly reckless policy is doing absolutely nothing to bolster the image of the university, or the morale of the staff that manage to survive the latest jobs cull. Nobody knows when or where the axe will fall. The university should sit down with us and try to work through a proper strategic plan to deal with the current difficulties, not resort to imposing inferior redundancy terms and slashing more jobs.'

Head of UNISON in the North West, Kevan Nelson, said: 'This news will be deeply worrying for staff, students and for the local community. When will the jobs carnage end? Redundancy notices have showered down on staff like confetti - no wonder morale is at rock bottom. Students could also be put off from applying to the university; standards will be hit as staff numbers fall. Instead of pursuing a steady as she sinks strategy, the university needs to get into talks with unions to find a constructive way forward.'