I'm not sure what good it will do, but I've written to my MP to complain about the OU employment policies and procedures.
[EDIT]
I received this reply on 15th January.
Dear Peter,
Thank you for your correspondence of 23 December, on behalf
of your constituent, Mr John Hunt of [REDACTED], regarding his concerns around
plans to fire and rehire staff at the Open University (OU).
I recognise the concerns of providers and their staff
regarding the ongoing financial stability of their institutions, and am aware
that some providers, including the OU, are making difficult decisions around
staffing to safeguard their financial sustainability.
Higher education (HE) providers are responsible for the pay
and provision of staff. The government does not have a role in intervening with
specific providers or in resolving disputes between providers and their staff.
However, we expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and
experience to help identify how best to reduce unnecessary spend. Efficiency
measures taken by the sector should provide better long-term value both for
students and the country.
We are committed to working closely with the sector to find
practical ways to address the challenges faced and deliver the change that the
sector, students and the country needs. Sir David Behan has been appointed as
the interim Office for Students (OfS) Chair to oversee the important work of
refocussing the OfS’ role to concentrate on key priorities, including the HE
sector’s financial stability.
I want to assure Mr Hunt that the government is committed to
creating a secure future for our world-leading HE sector - one that benefits
students, taxpayers, workers, and the economy. We are reviewing options to
deliver a more robust HE sector and will set out a long-term plan for reform by
the summer.
Department officials are also working closely with officials
at the Department for Business and Trade on the provisions of the Employment
Rights Bill. As Mr Hunt notes, this includes ending fire and rehire tactics, as
well as introducing basic rights from day one of employment, such as parental
leave and protection against unfair dismissal.
Thank you again for writing. I hope that this response is
useful for Mr Hunt.
Yours sincerely,
The Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith
Minister for Skills