🧵 Here's the #DataDrop from our redundancy consultation survey for UHI members - the full report will be on our Linktree The message is clear - staff have been failed. The report was sent to the Senior Executive Team (SET) and we await a response. UCU Scotland UCU

We surveyed 130 branch members. We received 91 responses - our response rate was 70%. There are c.330 employees employed by UHI's Executive Office (EO) - 28% of EO staff have responded. 76% are 'safe', but feel just as strongly about the consultation as those at risk

88% are Very Unhappy/Unhappy with the time UHI allowed for collective consultation. Staff feel this process has been rushed and that the proposed redundancies and terrible treatment of staff will damage our institution for years to come.

94% are Very Unhappy/Unhappy with the frequency of direct communication from UHI SET. The last time SET spoke directly to staff was 17th August. They also muted the chat function - an attempt to shut down communication. They also intimidated union members at the meeting.

93% are Very Unconfident/Unconfident about the consultation being carried out fairly and transparently. Look at what staff had to say about UHI's Equality Impact Assessment, which we are still awaiting answers on.

We are deeply disappointed to learn of UHI’s decision to end collective consultation. We're also being alerted to reports of staff members receiving phone calls to notify them of decisions to make them redundant before the collective consultation closure was communicated.

This is completely unacceptable, and we have grave concerns about the process that has been undertaken. It's appalling that this decision has been taken with no response given to the feedback from staff that was gathered through our consultation survey.

The data speaks for itself, and UHI must respond to the concerns and questions staff have raised. UHI did extend collective consultation last week but failed to notify staff until Wednesday 27th September at 4.45pm.

This meant staff had lost 3 extra days of collective consultation and UHI also failed to notify staff in a timely and transparent manner; the extension was communicated in an email badged ‘UCU Industrial Action’ and there's a significant portion of staff who were unaware.

An additional request to extend collective consultation until the 6th October was raised by both UHI_UCU and the UHI Staff Committee, but this request was declined.

UHI_UCU did not agree to the ending of collective consultation, and strongly feel that there is more to consider in terms of both alternative solutions and information that is still missing from the process.

The consultation has not received all information requested, and this is particularly the case in relation to financial details. We have serious concerns regarding the Equality Impact Assessment UHI carried out, which we are still awaiting a response to.

We note UHI's reference to voluntary severance (VS) in the communication they sent to staff today. We have consistently asked UHI to open a VS scheme as they declined a high number of applications when they ran a VS scheme in November '22, but they have refused to do so.

It's surprising to see this noted in an all-staff email, as we have no details of any VS scheme, and we request further clarification on this. We have requested that UHI hold off issuing redundancy notices while there are still discussions to be had on achieving savings.

UHI must halt this process until the concerns and questions raised by UHI_UCU and the UHI Staff Committee as part of collective consultation, have been answered, alongside the concerns and questions raised by individual members of staff.

We have also raised our concerns about the job cuts, financial situation, and the lack of meaningful consultation, with the Scottish Funding Council, and shall continue to raise these issues with the SFC.

Likewise, we have raised our concerns with the Scottish Government, liaising with officials on this matter and raising them directly with the Minister for HE, FE and Veterans; @GraemeDeyMSP. We continue to engage with Scottish Government officials on the situation.

We have asked UHI multiple times to meet about our dispute, and to talk about how we may resolve it. UHI has either refused or not responded to our requests.

We would urge UHI to revisit its decision to close collective consultation and instead enter dialogue with the UHI_UCU & UCU Scotland and work with us to find the best solution for students, staff, and the institution.

We’ve seen how much You Me At Six means to all of you this past few days, so here’s a little piece of what they mean to us. We’ve got some original copies of their first ever CD, released via Slam Dunk Records in 2007, to giveaway. Just like and retweet for a chance to win!