By Amina Ali
A protest rally was held on De Montfort University campus yesterday (Weds,JUNE25) following a proposal by the university to cut staff jobs.
Many students, staff and union members gathered outside Trinity House, demanding a halt to the redundancy plan.
A reported 94 academic positions are at risk, but some claim the figure could go as high as 400 – including 300 agency staff.
“They’re not interested in education. They’re interested in money,” one protester told the crowd.
According to the Times Higher Education Supplement, DMU is one of 100 UK universities making job cuts to save money.
A spokesperson for DMU told the Local Democracy Reporting Service “like almost every university in the country, DMU is dealing with unprecedented financial challenges.
“We are one of Leicester’s largest employers and contribute hundreds of millions of pounds to the regional economy annually.
“But the immediate challenges the sector faces are severe and fast-growing.”
The cuts come after the university invested money for new campuses in London and Dubai.
One student said: “The decision to take my tuition fees as a trans person and invest them into Dubai, a country where it is illegal for me to exist and be myself, is crass.
“I despise the people in charge of this university for it.”
Prior to the protest, an open letter was also sent from the Student and Alumni Action Group.
As well as demanding a halt to the plan, they demanded for “the current DSU executive, VC Katie Normington, current DMU executive and the Board of Governors” to resign.
The spokesperson for DMU said: “We have acted early and responsibly to ensure DMU remains financially stable, able to continue its vital role as a critical driver of economic growth, productivity and opportunity.”
