Hiring freeze at uni, temporary contracts not extended
Despite the budget cuts, the faculty of Social and behavioral sciences will get its new building. The process for better education standards will also continue. The Executive Board prefers to cut support staff costs.
As a result of the government’s cuts in higher education, the university has to cut its expenses by fifteen percent.
On the intranet of Tilburg University the Executive Board announced an immediate halt on job openings. Vacancies will be filled by staff with a permanent job at the university. In special circumstances the Executive Board can give permission to extend temporary contracts.
With a hiring freeze, staff reduction will be possible through natural turnover, according to the Board’s letter. As from next week, employees with temporary contracts, whose jobs might be affected by these measures, will be personally informed.
The news about the budget cuts did not completely come as a surprise. Ten days ago, Univers already reported about cuts in personnel costs.
It is not clear how many contracts will not be renewed. Corporate Staff director Huub Dekkers
was unavailable for comment this morning.
On his weblog rector Eijlander Philip wrote: “This week will certainly be dominated by the announced cuts and the hiring freeze for support and management staff.”
The Executive Board and deans discussed the government’s cuts at a meeting on 1 March. “The meeting concluded that we must do all we can (via legal, social and political channels) to resist this onslaught on our financial viability. And although we have ascertained that the state of our reserves will allow us to implement the cuts with careful and well-considered planning, this does not make the situation any less inevitable or grave!”, says the Board in the announcement on the intranet.
“Interim measures will have to generate savings of at least 15 million euros in the next few years. These cuts will have far-reaching consequences, particularly on the staffing side. In as far as this is possible, education and research will be excluded from the cuts we make. Having said this, economies will obviously have to be made here too. They will mainly target efficiency in teaching and research.”
Frans van den Heuvel, chairman of the Lokaal Overleg Bonden, one the representative bodies at Tilburg University, said that the unions have already agreed to the hiring freeze. “Heavy weather lies ahead. In case of a 15 million euro cut, these measures, unfortunately, are necessary.” [MW/transl. YV]
Reactions staff on 15-million-euro budget cuts (in Dutch)
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