HUNDREDS of students and workers at Manchester Metropolitan University staged a protest over job cuts.
Uni bosses want to axe 127 support staff because of a lack of national funding.
More than 250 students and staff picketed a meeting of the university's board of governors at the university's All Saints campus on Friday.
The university earlier this month announced plans to reduce its 4,200 workforce, by cutting the number of technicians, admin and support staff.
Organiser James Porter Campbell, from the Manchester for Jobs and Education group, said: “These are people who support students – we are talking about librarians and the technicians who get the computers to work.
“Tuition fees have been going up and up but students are very dissatisfied that staff who are supposed to help them are being cut.”
Trade unions handed over a petition with 4,000 signatures opposing the cuts and accusing vice-chancellor John Brookes of overseeing poor financial decisions.
Uni bosses say they are taking pre-emptive action to avoid falling into debt after government cuts in student funding.
MMU also announced plans to scale-back multi-million pound building projects, including cutbacks to a new campus in Hulme.
Protest over uni jobs threat
November 30, 2009
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Nothing to do with the article, that is one pug ugly building.
Yeah, probably best they scaled down their building plans if this is the architectural model they're following.
So staff and students are paying for the incompetence of the management, I remember reading that MMU lost £10million in that Iceland banking saga is this the real reason why they're cutting costs/corners, sacking staff and milking the tuition fees?
Must have been a short demo if you couldn't come up with photos.
MMU is not scaling back its plans for Birley Fields, Hulme. The campus is very much on track and will create jobs, boost local business and break down barriers to higher education for the people of Hulme and Moss Side.
Gareth Hollyman, MMU
On the final comment about the Hulme campus, MMU is absolutely not scaling back its plans for a new campus at Birley Fields. The plan is very much on track and will bring jobs, boost local business and break down barriers to higher education for the people of Hulme and Moss Side.
Oh and the design will be first-rate and sustainable!
Gareth Hollyman, MMU
Jobs are going all over the UK at the moment, this is nothing special than anywhere else, we need education and moderised buildings in hulme.....
I wonder what Gareths' position is at MMU???
Dunno Dawn but you can bet your life he isn't one of the 127 who are facing redundancy. More likely to be one of the dozens of (very well paid) managers that the MMU now employs in its bid to outdo the NHS in the 'lets employ yet another manager' game.
Seems to me that they could save a lot of money by sacking the right people...the ones with expensive salaries making all the money costing mistakes
The Birley Fields site has had its AV budget cut, meaning some rooms will not have projectors and computers. This from the same management that claim OHP's have had a 'death by powerpoint.' Not that they have any idea if academics even use powerpoint. Electronic visulisers are used all the time, but now they are to be stripped from class-rooms (maybe they can be sent to Birley Fields).
"Must have been a short demo if you couldn't come up with photos."
Well here you go... http://bit.ly/4sh9b9
and there were over 600 in total turned out with over 5000 signing a petition for a vote of no confidence in the VC.
"Nothing to do with the article, that is one pug ugly building."
It is... and it's also where half my classes are!>.< It's so depressing. It's not quite as bad inside though (emphasis on quite)
Back on topic, they say cut back -- WE SAY FIGHT BACK!
Dawn and Jack both wonder what Gareth Hollyman's position is at MMU. I understand he works in the marketing or publicity department. You can check this out by looking at the MMU website.
Gareth writes: "MMU is absolutely not scaling back its plans for a new campus at Birley Fields." Maybe I got it wrong, but at the VC's doom and gloom meetings the other month, I and others who attended were informed otherwise. For instance, we were told that Hollings campus (Toastrack) would now not be moving into Birley Fields. Naturally, the Birley Fields project (should it ever get off the ground) will reflect this in a reduced build. Let's be realistic, it'd foolish not too.
Darrell Mlynarz, MMU employee.