Tampere University announced on 13 September, 2021, that it would begin cooperation negotiations concerning its centralised support staff, altogether 1,100 persons. The estimated number of person-years to be reduced is 215. The University has justified initiating the negotiations by appealing to financial and operational reasons, which stem from reduced basic funding and a balance deficit.
Tampere University Association of Researchers and Teachers, i.e. TATTE states that up until now, the university management has not considered the deficit to be a problem, but instead has considered it as a natural and desirable state. “Claiming that this is a matter of financial necessity is artificial and tendentious”, TATTE’s representative say.
The employer appeals to its need to secure its core functions.
“Cutting resources from the support staff is very short-sighted. Significant and increasing amounts of administrative work have already been shifted to teaching and research staff. Cutting from support staff means cutting from the essential conditions of conducting research, teaching and societal interaction at the university,” says Sanni Tiitinen, vice-president of FUURT and president of TATTE.
“It is known at the university that the support staff are already considerably burdened, and these actions show that we are regrettably far from the aim of finding the best workplaces in Finland in the context of higher education, as envisioned in the Roadmap for Implementing Vision 2030. It is clear that the core function of the university at Tampere is endangered,” says Tiitinen.
Additional information:
TATTE’s press release 14.9.2021 Tampere University actions related to cooperation negotiations and their justifications are unreasonable
Tampere University’s press relase 13.9.2021 Cooperation negotiations concerning centralised support staff to begin at Tampere University