The University of Liverpool is facing criticism over its plans to continue with strike deductions against staff salaries amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The university is set to deduct pay from those who took part in two weeks of industrial action earlier this year, with money set to be taken off next month’s pay packets for those involved.
The University and College Union and numerous Liverpool politicians have called on the university to suspend the deductions until the coronavirus crisis is over, saying it will put staff under more pressure at a time when many are already struggling.
In a series of tweets this morning Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson, whose constituency the university sits within, said she was saddened and disappointed in the university.
Ms Johnson said: “I’m saddened to see dedicated and hardworking @LivUni staff put under further financial pressure due to the latest attacks from @LivUni. Having to face 14 days of strike deductions in April, in the middle of a pandemic, is cruel. I urge the employer to reconsider their approach.
“A number of institutions are now delaying this in light of the ongoing crisis and there is still work being done by @ucu members to support students and also the NHS in many instances.”
She called on the university to work with the UCU, Unite and Unison to find an approach that “considers the difficulty of this crisis for their staff”.
The UCU’s Liverpool branch has previously called the university’s position “shameful”.
A statement posted by the branch said: “This move will have devastating impacts on precarious staff, carers & parents.
“We’re strengthening our local hardship efforts.”
Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, Merseyside MPs and councillors have also criticised the university.
The University of Liverpool has said it is now in a position to spread deductions for staff in financial hardship.
A university spokesman said: “We know that this is an unsettling time and there are a range of issues currently that may be a cause for concern and worry for many of our staff one of them being finances.
“As we have now addressed the major practical challenges in moving to home working, we are now in a position to implement the spread of industrial action salary deductions for staff members in cases of hardship.
“We would like to remind our staff that we have the University Employee Assistance Programme, which provides for free and confidential access to a variety of support services, including counselling support.
“Further information is available at; https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/, and the contact telephone number is 0800 358 4858.”
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