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June, 2025:

Timeline and key dates for redundancy consultation

Jun 5th, 2025
by benwhalley.
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The timeline and informal consultation through to formal consultation is currently as follows:

  • 1st June – Deadline for Voluntary Redundancy applications
  • 2nd-6th June is consideration and confirmation of VR applications
  • Confirmation of VR impact on pools will be given by 6th June and communication will be sent to staff re Compulsory Redundancy (CR) Process if going ahead
  • 15th June – Deadline for CV/application/selection form submission for those still in the CR pools
  • 16th – 22nd June Selection Panel Members review selection forms
  • 23rd June – 10th July – Unsuccessful employees are provided with verbal confirmation, individual consultation meetings take place, and the outcome is confirmed.
  • 11th July – end of formal consultation process – notices of redundancy are issued
  • 31st July – Redundancies take effect (with Pay in Lieu of Notice, or PILON)

Throughout the timeline dates your University of Plymouth UCU officers will be continually pushing for a meaningful consultation to include:

  • Challenging the rationale
  • Requesting information
  • Monitoring and challenging redundancy pool composition suggestions
  • Challenging timelines and seeking extensions where appropriate
  • Clarifying details regarding the calculations for the redundancy numbers
  • Working to ensure the appropriate process is adhered to
  • Monitoring the fairness of the selection criteria
  • Responding to individual members’ concerns and need for advice
  • Advising Reps so that in turn they are informed and ready to accompany members to consultation meetings, where requested.

You do not need to go through this on your own. Your UCU branch officers are ready to help, their details can be found here.

Let’s stand together — visible, organised, and impossible to ignore.

University continue with plans to cut jobs

Jun 5th, 2025
by benwhalley.
No comments yet

The University of Plymouth is, like many Universities in the UK, facing financial constraint and looking to make significant staffing cuts. The financial constraint is a situation being experienced Universities across the UK as a result of the quasi-marketisation of HEI’s, government policy and falling student numbers.

As a recognised Union of the University of Plymouth we are currently in an informal consultation process and nearing the end of a  period of invitation to request voluntary redundancy (VR) or other mitigating suggestions. Key dates in this process are outlined on page 2 of this update.

Our position remains clear – we want no compulsory redundancies.

In order to fight these proposals your University of Plymouth UCU Executive have

Established a Redundancy Avoidance Committee 

This has been meeting regularly since February 2025 to explore opportunities to avoid compulsory job losses. The UCU position throughout has been to challenge UoP to avoid compulsory job losses and to seek the best terms it can for VR.

Negotiated early initial sight and questioning of the BCDs

School representatives and Executive group members – are constantly challenging Heads of Schools on various points on the BCD.

Ensured UCU Presence at School Reorganisation Consultation Meetings

School Reps and other UCU ‘observers’ from the UCU Branch Exec. were present at school consultation meetings and continue to request more consultation meetings as the situation progresses.

 

Achievements so far:

  • An agreed Voluntary Redundancy payment (statutory redundancy x 2)
  • Change to timeline for CR applications moving the transition period and CR deadline from 2ndJune to 15th June
  • VR process clarification and confirmation of a two year VR offer of the statutory redundancy x2 for the Education Cluster in the new School of Law, Humanities and Social Science.

What can you do to help?