Union fears university job cuts

Published 19 Jul 2009 11:42 0 Comments

A UNION fears planned spending cuts at Reading University could cause job losses.

The University and College Union (UCU) says calls from vice chancellor Gordon Marshall for £10million savings over five years could mean the loss of 160 jobs.

Archaeology lecturer Dr Timothy Astin, president of the university's UCU branch, said: "The proposals are very concerning and the cuts that the letter mentions invariably mean that jobs are at risk and so that is obviously a great concern."

The move follows the university's decisions to close its School of Health and Social Care and School of Continuing Education.

But university spokesman James Barr said: "In the light of the coming period of tightly-constrained public expenditure, the university has updated staff on the net budget savings of 4% needed over the next five years.

"These savings will sustain the university as an internationally established and leading research-intensive university into the future.

"This planning process will also include an extra investment of £2million in key areas to put the university in the strongest position possible.

"No specific decisions have been made as to how these savings will be achieved and the UCU's figure of 160 job losses is without foundation."

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