By Jennifer Hyland

Copyright dailyrecord

Staff at a cash-strapped university have accused bosses of “threatening and bullying” them out of their jobs on massively reduced voluntary severance terms. About 200 academics at the University of the West of Scotland ( UWS ) were placed in a redundancy pool in May due to a £14.4million budget black hole. In July, the university wrote to those at risk inviting them to apply for voluntary severance (VS) in exchange for a lump sum payment. But weeks later, UWS halved the terms for many workers, reducing the package from 12 months’ salary to six. Bosses have now warned furious staff they are considering altering compulsory redundancy terms – meaning staff who are made to go could receive thousands of pounds less – while still urging them to reconsider the reduced voluntary scheme. It comes after we told how UWS awarded principal Professor James Miller £539,429 in pay and expenses in just two years – including £5970 for a luxury junket to Barbados. A source told the Sunday Mail : “In July, the university formally wrote to those at risk inviting them to apply for VS, but in the time interval between placing staff at risk and opening the VS process, management altered the terms from 12 to six months of salary. “Many felt the university was not acting in good faith and withdrew their interest. “Applications for VS closed on September 5 and have not attracted enough applications to make the savings required. “As a consequence, staff have now been informed the university is considering altering its compulsory redundancy policy, which would likely mean anyone made redundant will receive considerably less financial compensation. “This is further evidence of behaviour designed to threaten and bully staff to leave.” An email, seen by the Sunday Mail , sent to staff on September 11 said: “The VS Scheme which was offered represented the best offer that the university is able to make. “If the savings detailed in the final business case are not met through the VS scheme, we will consider our next steps noting that the current enhanced compulsory redundancy scheme represents a higher financial burden to the university . “A discussion, as part of collective consultation with our recognised trade union representatives, would need to consider budgetary restraints and affordability, and could be subject to change. In light of this, colleagues are encouraged to give careful consideration to the present offer of voluntary severance.” Last week, lecturing staff who are members of EIS teaching union, took strike action. EIS’s Garry Ross said: “Staff and students at the university deserve better.” A UWS spokesman said: “As we have stated throughout this process, our aim is to avoid compulsory redundancies.”