Lecturers ‘devastated’ after university announces 300 job cuts
Lecturers at University of Greenwich have been left “devastated” after a swathe of job cuts were announced.
The university, based in the Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, has announced plans to cut 319 staff in a bid to slash pay roll.
Penned as “organisational changes” by the university, the cuts come in response to “significant financial challenges” and are currently under consultation with no final decision having been made, a spokeswoman said.
Ruth Ballardie, 70, Senior Lecturer at University of Greenwich since 2018, said: “It was a shock – we were completely unprepared.
“Last year we were in a financial surplus. We thought we were safe, there was no indication this was on the cards.”
University of Greenwich made a surplus of more than £33million in 2023/24, whilst the vice chancellor’s pay has jumped from £299,000 to £374,000 since 2021.
According to the University and College Union (UCU), the cull will fall on the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences (FLAS), the Faculty of Engineering and Science (FES), and the Greenwich business school (GBS).
Every hourly paid lecturer in FLAS – 151 in total – and GBS – 45 in total – is set to be axed, the union said. In FLAS, they will be replaced by a pool of 50 part time workers.
Ms Ballardie said: “The labour market for academics is so poor already.
“Hourly paid workers come in and teach during the term, help with marking or lead on modules. It’s a way to get onto the career ladder.
“These are highly skilled people with significant knowledge who have spent a lot of time becoming specialists.
“Financially and career wise, this will be devastating.”
If approved, the changes are expected to go ahead this August, when the fixed term contracts for hourly paid lecturers are due to end.
A university spokeswoman said: “It is important to remember that many of these staff work a relatively small number of hours per year for us. Indeed, some support us with just a few guest lectures per year.”
Changes could also see the university create a bank of academics on zero-hour contracts.
The UCU believes this means they will have no statutory rights to redundancy pay, maternity, paternity, and parental leave, and have no protection against unfair dismissal.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “These are the actions of the very worst type of rogue employer, not a public institution of Greenwich’s standing.”
Ms Ballardie said the cuts also raise questions about the work load increasing for the remaining staff.
She said: “We have requested repeatedly how many hours of work we will be down and how that will affect remaining staff but they refuse to give us anything.
“We already have significant problems with excessive workloads.
“They seem to have forgotten that universities are charities to deliver public goods, not corporations.”
The move has left Ms Ballardie and many of her colleagues questioning their future in academia.
She said: “I want to retire. As a UCU rep I’ve just done 17 interviews with staff who all said they have lost their faith in the higher education system.
“They want to teach students but they can’t. Our pay has dropped 20 per cent in the past six years and you work long days and every weekend.
“It’s too hard.”
A spokeswoman for Greenwich University said: “We are planning on moving to increase the number of more secure permanent posts which will be offered to our current hourly paid lecturers and which we believe is to everyone’s benefit.
“We will maintain a small group of associate academics to provide cover.
“We know that this will feel like a difficult message, but it is essential that we take sensible and proportionate action now to ensure that we continue to be able to offer high quality teaching and an outstanding student experience.”
Pictured top: University of Greenwich (Picture: Rapid Spin/ Flickr)
