Statement on RDR, IT Services and TU consultations

03 Nov 2015

University Statement on changes to the Redeployment Register, transformational change in IT Services and consultations with the campus trades unions

Changes to the Redeployment Register

In April, we announced plans to deal with issues arising from the practice of allowing staff to remain on the Redeployment Register indefinitely, as the cost to the University of this practice is financially unjustifiable at around £2 million per annum. The changes are also designed to ensure that the treatment of staff on the redeployment register is in line with the treatment of staff on fixed-term contracts or open-ended contracts linked to finite funding, who are made redundant when they no longer have a role or their funding ceases. This approach for staff on fixed-term contracts or open-ended contracts linked to finite funding was approved by the campus trades unions and has been in effect for five years.

The University offered a generous voluntary severance package to the 37 staff who had been on the Redeployment Register for three months or more. The University was clear that compulsory redundancy would be a potential outcome for those who did not obtain alternative roles or choose to take the package offered.

We are pleased to report that all of these staff have either been offered redeployment to other roles in the University or have accepted voluntary severance, so there should be no need to move to compulsory redundancy in this instance.

Transformational change in IT Services

In July, we announced the staffing implications of the transformational change programme in IT Services (ITS) to enable it to operate more flexibly and adapt to the University’s changing needs. The programme requires a phased shift to a more flexible model, which in turn requires an investment in 21 new roles and the reshaping of some of the existing IT team, based on skills needs.

To achieve this we are seeking a reduction of 68 jobs from across a number of roles and grade bands, through a generous voluntary severance scheme. The University made it clear that if the voluntary severance scheme is not effective in achieving the target reduction, we would have to initiate consultations on a compulsory redundancy programme, in line with existing University policies and processes.

Applications for the IT voluntary severance scheme closed a couple of weeks ago and we are pleased to report that, following an initial review of applications, we are hopeful that we can achieve the target reduction in existing roles through the voluntary severance  route.

All of these changes have been discussed in full by the Senior Management and were supported by the Board of Governors.

Consultations with Campus Trades Unions

In making these difficult, but necessary changes, the University is committed to dialogue with the three campus trades unions (Unison, UCU and Unite). We have held more than a dozen meetings with the trades unions about various aspects of these changes over the past six months. In a demonstration of our commitment to ongoing dialogue, ACAS has been invited to act as a conciliator to resolve ongoing discussions on the redeployment policy; the first meeting facilitated by ACAS was held on 19 October and a further meeting is scheduled for next week.

We were disappointed to learn that against this backdrop of significant change being achieved through the voluntary severance route and during an on-going dialogue, one of the three campus trades unions (UCU) has decided to ballot its members on industrial action ahead of the next meeting with ACAS. We believe that industrial action at this time would not only prove damaging to the University and to our students, but would also be divisive and would jeopardise our chances of accomplishing these - and any future - changes through constructive dialogue and agreement.

We would like to offer a reassurance that all changes involving staff undertaken by the University are given very careful and serious consideration. The University is committed to ensuring these processes are conducted fairly and transparently and will always seek to first explore opportunities through redeployment and voluntary severance for the avoidance of compulsory redundancies.

The University of Manchester - Tuesday, 3 November 2015