UU City Deal funding called into question over proposed redundancies
‘How can we expand Magee if we are laying off the very staff who are going to deliver the expansion?’ - Cllr Shaun Harkin
Senior Management at Ulster University (UU) has been called on to rescind its recently-announced 450 redundancies, by Derry City and Strabane District councillors.
Councillors unanimously agreed to contact UU on the issue following a motion brought to its April plenary by Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) and seconded by Cllr Paul Gallagher (Independent).
Cllr Harkin said people had been “devastated and alarmed” by the initial UU announcement.
“Since then we have heard there could be up to 108 redundancies at Magee,” he added. “It is extremely alarming and angering and I think that anger is shared right across Derry and right across the North.
“[Council needs] to send a strong message to UU bosses that they shouldn’t be laying off their staff. There has got to be an alternative.
“I think we need Government intervention to protect the jobs and also protect educational provision.
“Many people have said, ‘How can we expand Magee if we are laying off the very staff who are going to deliver the expansion?’ I think this is a massive concern, where we will have more buildings and more students will require more workers so it doesn’t make any sense at all from the point of view of Magee expansion to be laying off any staff, particularly staff that have been there a long time and are particularly skilled at what they do.
“I think, as a Council we have an enormous investment through the City Deal to UU and I think this sends the wrong message. It is our rate payers who are going to be made redundant by UU bosses, who, to be quite honest, are paid bloated salaries. I don’t understand how they could make this kind of decision without knowing the dire consequences it was going to have for workers at Magee,” said Cllr Harkin.
Cllr Gallagher said the socio economic future development of the region depended on expanding Magee to 10,000 students.
“This Council needs to be driving forward a corporate position. We want 10,000 students. What we want to be seen [here] is an increase in staff, not a decrease,” he added.
Supporting the motion, Cllr Sandra Duffy (Sinn Féin) said: “For our city, it is about protecting one of the most important institutions and safeguarding educational opportunities for generations to come.
“Magee is far too important to Derry and the wider Northwest for us to stand back and accept cuts that threaten jobs, educational provision, and our long-term economic future,” said Cllr Duffy.
Describing the UU redundancy announcement as a “bombshell”, Cllr Rory Farrell (SDLP) said: “We have had many good news stories recently. We’ve got maximum record student numbers. We’ve got a massive increase in student applications. We’ver had significant investment in land acquisitions. The future’s bright but the recent announcement where there is the prospect of potentially over 100 job losses at Magee is a dark cloud over this city.”
Cllr Gary Donnelly (Independent) said: “The British are investing money and technology and expertise in order to kill people thousands of miles away, yet, education to give our young people an opportunity is being neglected.”
Alderman Derek Hussey (UUP) questioned whether there was any consultation with Council about the UU redundancies “as a partner in the City Deal”.
“It [City Deal] is an integral part of the whole project for the development of our Council area. What are the implications for those plans?”
The full text of Harkin’s motion read:
“Council is alarmed at the announcement of up to 450 redundancies at Ulster University.
“Council stands in full solidarity with workers at Magee and right across all UU campuses.
“Council calls on and will write to senior Ulster University management to rescind these proposals to protect jobs and educational provision.
“Council calls on and will write to the Economy Minister requesting an urgent intervention by the Stormont Executive to protect jobs and educational provision at UU.
“Council supports the UCU, UNITE and other trade unions representing workers at UU and supports action to stop the loss of 450 jobs and the resultant impact on educational provision.”