In schools and colleges, redundancy situations may occur because of restructures, mergers, falling pupil numbers, budget pressures or curriculum changes that remove the need for specific roles or specialisms.
It is important to establish in the first instance whether a genuine redundancy situation exists. For example, a situation in which an employer removes posts only to recruit staff to undertake substantially the same work would not be deemed a genuine redundancy situation.
Reps should be prepared to challenge proposals that do not appear to reflect a genuine reduction in the employer’s need for work to be undertaken.
The need to fight for every job
Employers often present redundancy proposals as an inevitable response to financial pressures or organisational change. NEU reps should challenge this narrative. The role of the union is not simply to respond to proposals, but to scrutinise the employer’s rationale, identify alternatives and organise to defend jobs.
The impact of redundancy extends far beyond those directly at risk. When posts are lost, the work rarely disappears. Instead, responsibilities are often redistributed across the remaining workforce, increasing workload and placing additional pressure on staff.
Redundancies can also reduce the support available to pupils, restrict curriculum opportunities and damage morale across the workplace. Seeing colleagues lose their jobs can create anxiety about future staffing reductions and undermine confidence in school leadership.
For these reasons, redundancies should never be viewed solely as an issue for those whose posts are at risk. They are a whole-workplace issue with consequences for staff, pupils and educational provision.
Key rights and protections
Employees facing redundancy have important rights relating to consultation, redundancy pay, redeployment and protection from unfair dismissal. Fixed-term employees are not excluded from these protections and may have the same redundancy rights as permanent staff, depending on their circumstances.
These rights provide important safeguards, but they should be viewed as a foundation rather than a solution.
The best protection against redundancies is strong workplace organisation and collective action.
Detailed guidance on redundancy law, consultation requirements, redundancy pay and employment rights is available on the NEU website (see Resources).