Ulster University accused of 'ill-judged political attack'

Ulster University (UU) has been accused of "a cynical, ill-judged political attack" upon the policies of the Economy Minister ahead of an election.

The claim has been made in a letter to UU from the University and College Union (UCU) about plans to make up to 450 staff redundant.

When the potential cuts were announced, the university said redundancies across the higher education (HE) sector were "unavoidable" and a sustainable funding model for universities was not in place.

A UU spokesperson said the claim of a political attack was "clearly not true", adding that the university had been "fully transparent" on its "rationale for responding to the operating context in the way we have".

While the university hopes to achieve the job cuts through a voluntary scheme, it has outlined the number of jobs that could be at risk at each of its campuses in Belfast, Coleraine, Magee in Londonderry and Jordanstown.

Last week, the university said it had "sought to hold off on making redundancies while continuing to work with the Department for the Economy, through their reviews, on possible changes to the HE funding model in Northern Ireland".

"It has recently been made clear to us that a sustainable funding model is not going to be forthcoming, and regretfully we must now act to reduce our costs," a spokesperson added.

Staff were told by the university's Vice-Chancellor Paul Bartholomew that the university had made large operating deficits in 2024 and 2025 and needed to make savings of about £25m.

The UCU is the trade union which represents many staff in higher education.

By law, employers planning large-scale redundancies have to enter into consultation with trade unions and provide them with detailed information about the reasons for them.

But the UCU's Northern Ireland official Katharine Clarke has also now formally written to the university stating that the information provided to UCU does not satisfy the requirement for statutory consultation to begin.

She said that UU had not "supplied precise information detailing the numbers and categories of staff across departments and curriculum areas you propose to dismiss as redundant".

A UU spokesperson said the university had "already met all related legal obligations and as such there was no impediment in beginning this consultation process".

Clarke also said that UU had claimed redundancies were "necessary because of 'an unsustainable funding model for Higher Education'".

"This is suggestive of a cynical, ill-judged political attack upon the policies of the minister for the economy in the run up to an election in early 2027," Clarke wrote.

"It certainly does not accord with the definition of a redundancy situation under the legislation."

The UCU's Paddy Mackel told BBC News NI that the university had made a "silly attempt to undermine" the Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald.

In 2025, Archibald had turned down a call from the five universities and university colleges in Northern Ireland for tuition fees to rise by more than £1,000 a year.

Tuition fees are currently £9,535 a year in England compared to £4,855 a year in Northern Ireland.

"The minister for the economy and the previous minister has been clear that they're not going to increase student fees," Mackel said.

"Given the political situation that we live in, the cross-border nature of that party who are in power at the moment and responsible for that economy department, there is no chance of that minister or that party changing their mind on fees," he said.

"Quite rightly so in our view," he said.

"When you look at student fees and the increases there have been in England, the student fees in England are about twice what they are here.

"The sector is also in a difficult situation there too so the fees in themselves are not a panacea."

When questioned about the UU redundancies in the assembly on Tuesday, the Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said the cuts outlined by UU were "a real-world consequence of the executive not being funded to its level of need".

Archibald also said that there was a "lack of investment coming from the British government" for further and higher education.

The chair of the Stormont economy committee said officials of the UCU, including Mr Mackel, have been invited to explain his comments.

DUP MLA Phillip Brett said: "Mr Mackel is entitled to his own opinion, but what he isn't entitled to do is claim to speak on behalf of people that he does not speak on behalf of.

"I look forward to Mr Mackel and others coming up to see if this actually represents the views of the Union, because I've been contacted by members of the union who claim Mr Mackel does not speak for them.

"So I think it raises serious questions for what Mr Mackel has said today," Brett continued.