Cardiff University jobs under threat due to funding black hole
Meetings are being held with staff and unions amid concern that hundreds of jobs are under threat at Cardiff University.Academic departments have been summoned to briefings with managers with speculation that some departments could be merged and subjects affected.Chair of the University and College Union (UCU) Cymru Estelle Hart said there had been a "lack of communication" by university bosses which was causing "anxiety" to staff.A Cardiff University spokesperson said that staff and students would be the first to know if any changes were proposed.
The university had previously said it had to take action to address a £30m black hole in its budget with the pressure of increased costs and falling international student numbers affecting the whole higher education sector.An offer of voluntary severance between June and September 2024 was taken up and approved for 155 staff and a second round closed earlier this month.But the latest announcement is set to go further with staff fearing that "hundreds" more jobs will go from the 7,000 strong workforce.Refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies, Vice Chancellor Wendy Larner said in the autumn that the university would develop new sources of income and different ways of delivering courses as well as looking at usage of the university's buildings.She said the university would also be looking for international partnerships and in December 2024 it announced that there were discussions about opening its first overseas branch in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.Staff in departments across the university have received invitations to meetings to discuss "academic futures".One email said: "I appreciate that a meeting of this kind will cause anxiety" referring staff to an Employee Assistance Programme for support, should they need it.Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Estelle Hart from UCU Cymru said management at Cardiff University had "caused speculation by not communicating"."I think it's fair to say the sector's in crisis but what we've seen in Cardiff is a real lack of engagement with alternatives from the management."Sending emails out inviting people to meetings seemingly without any pre-warning is going to cause such anxiety."Large scale "town hall" meetings are also planned for this week.A Cardiff University spokesperson said: "We do not comment on speculation or anonymous claims. If any changes are proposed, then our staff and students will be first to be informed"."We will not be offering further comment, at this stage," the spokesperson added.
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Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
The UK Government has to deliver £4bn of rail investment in Wales
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As I set out in a letter to Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander last December, this is based on rail enhancement commitments likely in England of approximately £80bn over the same period. These commitments include to complete HS2, TransPennine upgrade, East West Rail, and some new schemes in England - some of which have been announced ahead of the CSR including more trams in Manchester, Leeds-Bradford tram, Liverpool, Bristol and the West of England. Some £4bn for Wales would be a commensurate and a fair Barnett allocation and can be directed at schemes in Wales already subject to significant business case and scheme development. Article continues below To be clear, Wales needs this investment not just because its fair or right, but because of the benefits, especially economic, that can be realised. These include mode shift and reduced carbon emissions, economic agglomeration and development benefits, more transit oriented development , reduced road traffic accidents, improved air quality, more financially efficient public transport operations, reduced road congestion (freeing up road space for those that need to use them) and less wear and tear of our roads. Bus reform in Wales and how it could play out READ MORE: As I set out in my book How to build a Metro, in Wales via Transport for Wales, Welsh Government, the regions and local authorities, we have already developed a range of rail enhancement schemes to at least outline business case, commensurate with that scale of investment and which will deliver these wider benefits to 2040. In summary they are: South Wales Main Line (SWML) upgrade £1bn) We need to see the five Burns stations (pretty much along the lines of the proposals in the 2013 Metro Impact Study and later presented in the Western Gateway 2050 Rail Vision). 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Felindre, etc. We also need enhanced local rail services west of Swansea all the way to Milford Haven aligned to a range of tactical infrastructure enhancement – these complement some of the South Wales Mainline service measures set out above This work needs to be combined with a focus on more and greater transit-oriented development at primary stations like Llandarcy, Neath, Llanelli and in/around Swansea High Street stations. North Wales £1bn Transport Secretary Ken Skates set out a big vision for North Wales at a transport conference in Wrexham last month. This vision needs to see some early measures and focused delivery with an initial £1bn programme that includes: Upgrade of borderlands and integration with Merseyrail and use of their new 777s electric stock; early measures to deliver capacity for freight at Padeswood. North Wales Main Line (NWML) line speed and capacity upgrades to allow more services – both local all stopper with increased frequency, and long-distance express. A rolling electrification programme. New stations and key station upgrade for example, Shotton (as an interchange), Deeside Industrial Estate and especially Chester to allow more capacity through the station. Longer term the application of tram-train in both north east and north west Wales. Cardiff Capital Region Metro £500m Now there are good cases to be made for at least a further £2bn of rail and metro investment in the Cardiff Capital Region. This includes the full Cardiff Crossrail, Aberdare-Hirwaun, Cross Valley, Caerphilly-Newport and an extension in Merthyr. However, the initial and pragmatic focus has to be: Deliver a Metro in Cardiff (which is not really delivered as part of the current South Wales Metro programme. This means Cardiff Crossrail phase two. At its core this needs to see the City and Coryton lines operate with at least 4 trains per hour (tph) instead of the 2tph planed, this needs work at Cardiff West junction, and a Coryton loop. 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North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
University of Edinburgh lecturers to walk out over planned £140m cuts
The action will see members of the University and College Union (UCU) strike during an open day on June 20, followed by a further five-day walkout in September to coincide with the university's 'welcome week' for new students. Union members are also set to take part in action short of a strike, including working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, and a 'possible marking and assessment boycott'. The UCU announced the action following a ballot which saw a 60% turnout, with 84% backing strikes and 93% voting in favour of action short of a strike. The news came on the same day university principal Professor Sir Peter Mathieson appeared before a Holyrood committee, where he defended his six-figure salary and acknowledged the university is not in deficit. Sophia Woodman, UCU Edinburgh University branch president, said it is 'not too late' for the strike to be averted, and she called on senior management to rule out compulsory redundancies. 'Staff want a sustainable future for the university as much as anybody and we want to work with senior management to end this dispute,' she said. 'But we're clear that the use of compulsory redundancies is unacceptable. 'With the resources and reserves held by the university it can easily afford to rule out sacking staff. 'The decision to let the strike continue, with all the disruption to students that it entails and a possible marking and assessment boycott, is a matter of choice for Peter Mathieson and the university senior management. 'The union's door is open to talks and I'd appeal to them to heed this final warning, rule out compulsory redundancies and end this unnecessary dispute.' The union claimed the proposed £140 million of cuts would be the 'largest ever' made by a university in Scotland, and said management have failed to make a case for cuts of this size while at the same time planning 'record' investment in buildings and infrastructure. It added that research and teaching staff are the 'backbone' of the university, and cutting them rather than buildings is a 'false economy'. Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: 'UCU members at Edinburgh University are ready and willing to strike to save jobs and save this university, but disruption can still be avoided. 'Edinburgh University is a wealthy university with, at the last count, over £3 billion in its reserves. 'The Scottish Government should follow the lead of ministers in Wales and call on universities to use their reserves to avoid job losses.' The union said walkouts will take place on June 20 and September 8-12, with action short of a strike beginning on June 20. Responding to the announcement, Sir Peter said: 'We have been transparent about the savings urgently needed to secure our financial footing, with forecasts showing that we will be in deficit from the next financial year should we not act now. 'Failure to take preventative steps would leave us in an unsustainable situation, requiring deeper savings. 'We respect colleagues' right to take part in industrial action, and will do all we can to minimise disruption to students should this take place. 'We will also continue to work with our joint trade unions as plans develop to deliver these savings.'
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
University of Edinburgh lecturers to walk out over planned £140m cuts
The action will see members of the University and College Union (UCU) strike during an open day on June 20, followed by a further five-day walkout in September to coincide with the university's 'welcome week' for new students. Union members are also set to take part in action short of a strike, including working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, and a 'possible marking and assessment boycott'. The UCU announced the action following a ballot which saw a 60% turnout, with 84% backing strikes and 93% voting in favour of action short of a strike. The news came on the same day university principal Professor Sir Peter Mathieson appeared before a Holyrood committee, where he defended his six-figure salary and acknowledged the university is not in deficit. Sophia Woodman, UCU Edinburgh University branch president, said it is 'not too late' for the strike to be averted, and she called on senior management to rule out compulsory redundancies. 'Staff want a sustainable future for the university as much as anybody and we want to work with senior management to end this dispute,' she said. 'But we're clear that the use of compulsory redundancies is unacceptable. 'With the resources and reserves held by the university it can easily afford to rule out sacking staff. 'The decision to let the strike continue, with all the disruption to students that it entails and a possible marking and assessment boycott, is a matter of choice for Peter Mathieson and the university senior management. 'The union's door is open to talks and I'd appeal to them to heed this final warning, rule out compulsory redundancies and end this unnecessary dispute.' The union claimed the proposed £140 million of cuts would be the 'largest ever' made by a university in Scotland, and said management have failed to make a case for cuts of this size while at the same time planning 'record' investment in buildings and infrastructure. It added that research and teaching staff are the 'backbone' of the university, and cutting them rather than buildings is a 'false economy'. Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: 'UCU members at Edinburgh University are ready and willing to strike to save jobs and save this university, but disruption can still be avoided. 'Edinburgh University is a wealthy university with, at the last count, over £3 billion in its reserves. 'The Scottish Government should follow the lead of ministers in Wales and call on universities to use their reserves to avoid job losses.' The union said walkouts will take place on June 20 and September 8-12, with action short of a strike beginning on June 20. Responding to the announcement, Sir Peter said: 'We have been transparent about the savings urgently needed to secure our financial footing, with forecasts showing that we will be in deficit from the next financial year should we not act now. 'Failure to take preventative steps would leave us in an unsustainable situation, requiring deeper savings. 'We respect colleagues' right to take part in industrial action, and will do all we can to minimise disruption to students should this take place. 'We will also continue to work with our joint trade unions as plans develop to deliver these savings.'
