A ballot held by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) University of Liverpool branch, has indicated support for industrial action/ Action short of a strike (ASOS) in relation to Project SHAPE.
Project SHAPE & collective consultation
Further information about Project SHAPE and the University’s recent statements, can be found here.
The University does not make proposals of redundancies lightly and the project to restructure the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (HLS) has been carefully considered over an 18-month period. The formal process of collective consultation with our trade unions about the proposals began in January 2021 and remains ongoing.
Collective consultation is a process where we expect to discuss ways of avoiding, mitigating and identifying alternatives to redundancy. The University is not required to reach agreement with our trade unions in relation to the proposals under discussion, but both parties are required to engage in meaningful consultation and the University is committed to this. The 30-day minimum consultation period has already been extended to allow for further discussion. We continue to take on board the views of our trade unions and to consider the concerns they have raised through this process in detail; it is clear to us that this ballot is premature.
Next steps
Every effort has been made to resolve the dispute and the process of collective consultation continues. We are unable at this point to confirm when collective consultation will end, as it is dependent on engagement from all parties.
We recognise that potential action will be a cause of concern for staff and students alike but the University has processes in place to help keep any disruption to a minimum. We will continue to keep colleagues and students updated.