Threat to jobs at Kew

[Maggi Young]

........ I've been reading that  up to 125 jobs may be under threat at Kew ( where there are 750 "roles" it seems) because of the money shortfall for the costs there, so anything might happen, I suppose. 

More on that : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-26821046

BBC website  31 March 2014

"Kew Gardens jobs to be axed in £5m shortfall

Kew Gardens The Royal Botanic Gardens is facing a shortfall of £5m in 2014-15

About 125 jobs could be cut as the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, west London, faces a £5m shortfall in revenue in the coming financial year.

Kew Gardens said it had been facing "significant financial challenges" over the last few years and it was working on strategies to boost income.

But trying to fill the shortfall by a third will mean "changes in staffing" for the 750 people working there.

Compulsory redundancies would be a "last resort", a spokesman said.
Visitor at Kew Gardens Also known as Kew Gardens, the site is on the World Heritage List

The news of job cuts comes as the site saw a 29% rise in visitors last year.

In a statement, the Royal Botanic Gardens said: "We aim to fill roughly a third of the shortfall next financial year through income growth.

"We will be working with staff to explore all options including schemes for voluntary exits, reduced working hours and unpaid leave, before moving on to consideration of redeployment, voluntary redundancies or, as a last resort, compulsory redundancies." "

[Maggi Young]

There is now a petition online  to protest about the threat to the Kew jobs :
 Petitioning Rt Hon Mr Owen Paterson MP
Urgently reverse existing, proposed, and further cuts to RBG Kew’s annual operating grant in aid
click here

[Maggi Young]

From BBC website  31 March 2014

"Kew Gardens jobs to be axed in £5m shortfall

Kew Gardens The Royal Botanic Gardens is facing a shortfall of £5m in 2014-15

About 125 jobs could be cut as the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, west London, faces a £5m shortfall in revenue in the coming financial year.

Kew Gardens said it had been facing "significant financial challenges" over the last few years and it was working on strategies to boost income.

But trying to fill the shortfall by a third will mean "changes in staffing" for the 750 people working there.

Compulsory redundancies would be a "last resort", a spokesman said.
Visitor at Kew Gardens Also known as Kew Gardens, the site is on the World Heritage List

The news of job cuts comes as the site saw a 29% rise in visitors last year.

In a statement, the Royal Botanic Gardens said: "We aim to fill roughly a third of the shortfall next financial year through income growth.

"We will be working with staff to explore all options including schemes for voluntary exits, reduced working hours and unpaid leave, before moving on to consideration of redeployment, voluntary redundancies or, as a last resort, compulsory redundancies." "

There's an online petition about this if you want to protest against this threat to Kew  :

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/globally-important-conservation-and-science-under-threat-at-royal-botanic-gardens-kew-due-to-uk-government-cuts-5m-deficit-will-lead-to-loss-of-over-120-posts?recruiter=88977540&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

[Maggi Young]

Stephen Blackmore  the former Director of RBGE has recommended this as an "Excellent, well balanced article on importance of supporting science at Kew by Alice Bell"

"Scientists, unions and greens unite in concern over Kew Gardens cuts
Cuts to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew risk the loss of 125 jobs, many in science and public engagement" :
http://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2014/apr/11/scientists-unions-greens-kew-gardens?CMP=twt_gu

a comment from the paper :
" The campaign moved up a step this week, as MPs issued an Early Day Motion, calling for a full public debate on the implications of such cuts. Prospect have also launched a petition calling on Environment Secretary Owen Patterson to urgently reverse cuts to Kew’s operating grant in aid."


requoting Sir David Attenborough :  Sir David and the others have already explained this well.

    As Sir David Attenborough told local Richmond press: “The important thing to remember is that it is the premiere botanical gardens in the world scientifically. People who think it is just a place to go to look at pretty flowers and flower beds are mistaking the importance of Kew Gardens”

    Praising Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, he added: “The seed bank is of world importance and it should be supported by the Government like a proper institution or university and the continuing idea that Kew Gardens is merely a playground and that you just put up the prices to look after it is a misguided assessment of the value of Kew.”


Also comment from Prof. Jeff Ollerton, Professor of Biodiversity at the University of Northampton in his blog :
http://jeffollerton.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/budget-cuts-to-kew-are-cultural-vandalism/

[Neil]

Can I just add that there is a petition on  the direct gov website regarding this subject   http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/63531

[Maggi Young]

Thank you , Neil, for the news about the direct gov site petition - I hope it can pick up as many signatures as the change.org one - which is over 11 thousand now.

[Tim Ingram]

It's always seemed completely exraordinary to me that entry to National Museums is essentially free - but you can donate - whereas Kew, which effectively is a living collection of plants of equal importance and educational value, is quite costly to visit. It used to be very nearly free and I regularly visited when I was a student in London. Glasnevin in Dublin is free to visitors and a fine Botanic Garden. For young people and others with little resources the ability to see and study such a range of plants, and gain a proper understanding of them is surely just as important as the historical collections in places like the British and Natural History Museums. Placing such financial constraints on a garden like Kew seems to trivialise any study of the Plant World, where the opposite should be the case.

[Gerry]

I'm sure that HMG would be happy to see Kew as a 'business'. 

[Gerry Webster]

I'm sure that HMG would be happy to see Kew as a 'business'. 

They certainly would. The Royal Botanic Gardens will go the same way as The Royal Mail.

[Maggi Young]

Still trouble rumbling on at Kew :


"Conflict at Kew Gardens grows with the funding gap
Internal problems and a budget crisis at Kew threaten its reputation as the world's number one botanic institution, writes Tim Richardson"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/11469616/Conflict-at-Kew-Gardens-grows-with-the-funding-gap.html
         
   

[ian mcdonald]

There have been cut-backs at Kew for many years. Kew used to run a free service to the public who sent in plants to be identified. The last time I contacted Kew for some information they did not reply. I had to ask my MP to raise the question before I received an answer. It is not too long ago that Kew was awarded funds for renovating the glasshouses. I think a figure of £80 million was mentioned. There is no question as to the importance of Kew as a garden and scientific research establishment but many industries and services are facing budget shortfalls and the quickest way to save money is seen as staff cuts. It is a poor reflection on society when our Environment and Public Services are degraded. Perhaps the next government, whoever they are, ought to give an update on "the state of the nation?"

[Gerry]

Don't count on it Ian, I was recently told that we live in 'a market economy'. The context was that it was fine to queue jump at hospitals if you could pay........