Appeal to Mandelson slows university cost-cutting

Andrew Robinson

A LEEDS University lecturer has successfully petitioned Lord Mandelson’s Privy Council office to investigate whether the university broke key rules in its handling of a cost-cutting plan.

Dr John Illingworth petitioned the Visitor of Leeds University – Lord Mandelson – over the restructuring of the faculty of biological sciences and 60 possible job losses.

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Lord Mandelson’s Privy Council Office has now asked the University to put on hold its plans until the petition has been investigated and ruled upon.

A spokesman for the University and College Union said the petition claimed the University bypassed the body responsible for its academic mission, the senate, when it implemented a restructuring plan for the faculty

A union spokesman said: “The union argues that the academic mission is the responsibility of the senate and that the University’s council and executive were not empowered, under the University’s rules of governance, to alter it without the proper consideration of the senate which, UCU claims, was not obtained at the proper time, or indeed at all.”

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “We are pleased that the Visitor agrees with us that the current cost cutting plans at Leeds must be put on hold to allow this issue to be properly investigated. Our universities spend millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and it is right and just that there is proper scrutiny of how they spend that money and why certain decisions around their academic missions are taken. UCU continues to believe a sensible way forward is possible at Leeds and we call on the university to join us in meaningful negotiations to avoid a damaging dispute.”

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A University spokesman said: “We believe that the UCU's appeal to the Visitor is wholly misconceived and we will resist the petition vigorously.

“The Visitor’s request is ambiguous, and we are seeking clarification.”

A statement on the University website added: “We are seeking urgent clarification of the Visitor’s request – the economies exercise is still at a very early stage and we are some months away from formulating any ‘proposals’ which might be implemented.”

The request came a day after Leeds UCU members announced plans for one-day strikes on February 25, March 2 and 4.

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A spokesman for Lord Mandelson said: “This is a routine process in which the the Privy Council Office, not Lord Mandelson as the visitor, has independently asked the university to put restructuring plans on hold after a petition was lodged.”