Tampere University announced on Monday 13 September that it would begin cooperation negotiations concerning centralised support staff. The scope of the negotiations includes approximately 1,100 people, and the estimated need for reductions is 215 person-years.
TREY is shocked by this initiative. Reductions of the support services on this scale would undoubtedly affect teaching and research as well. The support services are already overworked, and they do not have the time to offer the needed support to the teaching and research staff. In the case that more administrative work falls on the shoulders of the teaching and research staff, the quality of research and teaching is at risk.
The support services also handle many operations that are essential to students. This includes the library, well-being services, career services and laboratories, among others. Support services play an essential role in ensuring that the university can fulfil its core function. Decisions like this do nothing to help our community recover from the pandemic.
“The university has been vocal about the importance of student well-being, and employee well-being was a core theme last year. It is extremely contradictory that now those services that do the most to advance community well-being and flow of work are the ones that are put at risk”, says TREY Chair Iiris Taubert.
TREY is deeply disappointed that the university management has not had an open discussion with the community about the financial situation. This is not how a responsible employer operates. The university staff and students alike feel frustrated and tired after the university merger, the pandemic, and system changes. After all this, there is little trust left towards the university management.
Unfortunately, we have once again noticed that there is a lack of openness in Tampere University’s operations. TREY calls for an open discussion about the financial situation and the effects that these decisions have on the university’s ability to fulfil its core functions. We stand with the university staff in these negotiations.
Tatte statement: The core function of Tampere University is endangered
More information:
Iiris Taubert, Chair of Board, puheenjohtaja@trey.fi
Venla Monter, Secretary General, paasihteeri@trey.fi
