A growing number of universities are warning they will have to make compulsory redundancies as financial problems worsen, leading staff to fear that the sector¡¯s cuts have entered ¡°a new phase¡± of disruption.

Arts University Bournemouth, Liverpool Hope University and Cardiff Metropolitan University have all announced moves to make compulsory redundancies?in a sign of escalating troubles.

At Newcastle University,?a?targeted enhanced severance scheme is under way, with the university warning that compulsory redundancies could occur if this does not meet the desired savings.

Staff at Cardiff Metropolitan University have?described the atmosphere following the announcement as ¡°grim¡±.?The university said it expects to see between 30 and 50 staff leave through compulsory means.

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Roberto Catello, secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) branch at Liverpool Hope University, which is looking to make 39 staff redundant, said the?shift to compulsory redundancies is a ¡°political choice¡± given that the institution has ?21 million in cash reserves, according to its .

¡°It¡¯s unconscionable if you ask me that they¡¯re sitting on a pile of money and they¡¯d rather decimate entire departments and put the livelihoods of 39 colleagues at risk just because they want to have a positive balance sheet next year,¡± he said.?

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Union members at Newcastle University recently announced a further 30 days of strike action in an attempt to force management to rule out compulsory redundancies. David Bates, the university¡¯s UCU secretary, said?he expects to see more compulsory redundancies announced across the sector, adding: ¡°Potentially we¡¯re in a new and dangerous phase of redundancies.¡±

¡°It¡¯s really important that we [push back] on a nationwide basis, otherwise it will be too easy for university management to be trigger-happy and reach straight for the book that says ¡®compulsory¡¯,¡± Bates said.?

Bob Rabone, former chief financial officer at the University of Sheffield, said the compulsory redundancies so far were of a ¡°relatively small scale of the scope¡± but noted that they are ¡°by far the most difficult change for everyone involved and will be the last possible method chosen¡±.?

Other institutions?could follow in the footsteps of Newcastle University, which has begun offering targeted enhanced severance packages and has not ruled out compulsory redundancies if they fail to produce the desired savings.

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¡°I would put this enhancement as the most likely next approach for a university, where it needs a broader impact of staff reductions, thus limiting the use of compulsory schemes for smaller targeted restructuring,¡± Rabone said.

Meanwhile, Gregor Gall, an industrial relations expert and visiting professor at the universities of Glasgow and Leeds, said painting a picture of ¡°impending economic woe¡± through the potential use of compulsory redundancies ¡°is a useful tactic used by university employers to skim off those in the first instance that are willing to contemplate taking voluntary redundancy¡±.?

¡°Subsequent rounds of voluntary redundancy pick up those that don¡¯t want to stay around once they¡¯ve seen the consequences of depleted staff numbers in terms of morale and workloads. Only then do the university employers go for actual compulsory redundancies. Even then as the terms for going voluntarily are usually better, this still elicits more voluntary severance.¡±

A Newcastle University spokesperson said?it has achieved the ¡°majority of the savings needed through voluntary schemes¡± and that it continues to work with trade unions to ¡°avoid compulsory redundancies wherever possible¡±.?

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A spokesperson from Liverpool Hope University said it is ¡°continuing to consult with UCU regarding potential redundancies¡±, adding that the university is ¡°supporting staff and students at this difficult time¡±. Cardiff Metropolitan University added that while it is ¡°working hard to safeguard its long-term financial sustainability¡±,?it?¡°still?has a significant financial gap to close, and we have been clear from the outset that we must close this by the end of July 2025, particularly with costs continuing to rise¡±.

¡°We remain committed to working with unions and colleagues throughout this process to reduce the number of colleagues at risk, and we continue to offer a range of support to all staff at this uncertain and difficult time.¡±

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juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com