Union Raises Concerns Over Magee Campus Job Cuts
A trade union has urged Ulster University to halt plans to reduce its workforce by hundreds of jobs, cautioning that the move raises "serious questions" about the future expansion of its Londonderry campus.
The university plans to make up to 450 staff redundant due to a financial shortfall estimated at approximately £25 million.
SDLP assembly member Sinéad McLaughlin reported that university projections indicate 108 job losses could occur at Magee in Derry, 221 at the Belfast campus, 114 at Coleraine, and seven in Jordanstown.
The university stated it aims to meet its redundancy target through voluntary redundancies, making it "impossible" to specify how many staff from each campus may apply until the scheme closes.
"Employers must notify the government in advance of potential redundancies and specify the locations,"a UU spokesperson explained.
They added that, as a multi-campus institution, the university provided proportionally allocated figures for each site based on current staffing levels.
Furthermore, the spokesperson emphasized that, as outlined in previous Magee taskforce reports, a "sustainable higher education funding model is a prerequisite for growth."
"Ulster University is committed to viable, sustainable growth in Derry~Londonderry. It is not viable to grow an unsustainably funded model,"they said.
'Promised Growth, Not Contraction'
The University and College Union (UCU) expressed concerns that the scale of potential job losses could undermine long-standing ambitions to expand Magee from 6,500 to 10,000 students.
Speaking on BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme on Wednesday, Norman Hagan, chair of the UCU's Ulster University branch and based at Magee, described the proposed cuts as "deeply concerning."
"Nobody expected cuts of this significance,"he said.
Hagan stated he could not envision how the potential loss of 108 jobs at the Derry campus would not impact efforts to reach the target of 10,000 students.
He has called on the university to pause the redundancy process, characterizing the scheme as "a short-term fix that will create long-term damage to the institution."
"It represents a significant reduction in capacity, particularly here in the north west, where we have been promised growth, not contraction,"he added.
Hagan also noted that uncertainty about who might volunteer for redundancy is already affecting staff across all four campuses.
"The university itself has said it does not know who is going to come forward and this is hanging over every member of staff,"Hagan said.
"There is not a chance that 450 people will come forward voluntarily, which means they intend to move to compulsory redundancies after that."
Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has previously affirmed that the Magee expansion remains an "Executive priority."
On Wednesday, the Department for the Economy highlighted her commitment to Magee's growth, citing a 22% increase in student numbers over the past two years.
"She remains fully committed to continued progress towards the 10,000 target,"a spokesperson stated.
Responding in the Assembly chamber on Tuesday to Sinéad McLaughlin, the minister remarked that the cuts outlined by Ulster University were "a real-world consequence of the Executive not being funded to its level of need."
'Coleraine Remains Vulnerable'
Ulster University currently employs about 1,500 staff at its Belfast campus and nearly 800 at Coleraine.
The Magee campus in Derry has almost 750 staff, while approximately 50 staff are based at Jordanstown.
The expansion of the Derry campus has long been viewed as a catalyst for economic growth in the north west.
In 2024, a taskforce was established to develop and oversee an action plan to expand the Derry campus.
Currently, Magee has 6,500 students, with a target to reach 10,000 by 2032.
Last week, Stephen Kelly, chair of the Magee taskforce, expressed confidence that job cuts at the university would not jeopardize the expansion plans.
Concerns have also been raised about the future of the Coleraine campus.
Independent assembly member for East Londonderry Claire Sugden stated that any job losses there would be another significant blow following the closure of the Riverside Theatre, located on the campus.
"Coleraine remains vulnerable, as it always has,"Sugden said.
She added that Coleraine may be at greater risk than other sites because Belfast is the university's flagship campus and attracts more international students.
Sugden noted that Coleraine does not receive the same level of commitment from the Stormont Executive as the Derry campus.
