Welsh universities face more cuts misery

Martin Shipton

Staff at Welsh universities are facing the prospect of further job losses as they await announcements due to be made imminently.

Bangor University has confirmed that it will make an announcement next week, while the University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD) has reopened a voluntary redundancy scheme.

The University and College Union has a “red line” of refusing to accept compulsory redundancies, so industrial action could be on the cards at the beginning of the new academic year in the autumn..

Recently Cardiff University was facing a series of strikes as well as a student assessment boycott after proposing 400 job losses and the closure of five of its Schools in January.

Industrial action has been averted for now after the university agreed that no members of the academic staff would be made compulsorily redundant during the rest of 2025.

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Consultation period

A spokesperson for Bangor University told Nation.Cymru on May 9: “Next week, the university will launch a consultation period regarding proposed changes. All colleagues and students will be encouraged to share their views and provide feedback before any decisions are made. To support staff in considering all possible responses to the proposals, the Voluntary Severance Scheme will re-open during this time.”

It has already been suggested that around 200 jobs could go at Bangor in a bid to save £15m.

Also on May 9 a spokesperson for UWTSD said: “As part of its annual planning process, the university has identified the need to reduce payroll costs in discrete areas in order to reinvest in other areas and rebalance its staffing arrangements in line with evolving requirements.

“The university has initiated its usual process to engage in a dialogue with its recognised trades unions and affected staff who have been provided with an opportunity to apply for voluntary severance.”

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Lampeter

As a result of previously announced cuts, university education at the oldest campus in Wales is about to end with humanities courses being moved from Lampeter to Carmarthen. Lampeter has hosted higher education for more than 200 years and politicians as well as prominent members of the community have expressed serious concern about the impact of the decision on the town and its residents.

Meanwhile Cardiff Metropolitan University is also facing cuts. Originally it was thought there would be between 30 and 50 compulsory redundancies on top of recent job losses through voluntary severance.

The university posted a deficit of just over £3m for the year ending July 2024, citing a drop in numbers of international students, rising costs and static home fees.

It is understood that the number of potential compulsory redundancies has been whittled down to 20, but a UCU source said there would undoubtedly be industrial action if the university maintained its current position.

Financial challenges

In an earlier statement the university, which has campuses in Llandaff and Cyncoed, said: “Like so many universities across the UK, Cardiff Metropolitan University is experiencing financial challenges, with our current costs exceeding our income. We have already carried out a wide range of activities to support us in meeting this financial challenge, while remaining focused on delivering an excellent student experience and outcomes, and making a positive difference to all of the communities we serve.

“To be well positioned for a successful and sustainable future, we, like all universities, need to make some difficult decisions. We have recently closed a final voluntary severance scheme, which, alongside a range of other measures aimed at reducing our pay and non-pay costs, has helped minimise the number of compulsory redundancies we need to make.

“However, we must still make further reductions to our recurrent cost base and have this week started collective consultation with our recognised trades unions on restructuring proposals. This consultation will genuinely seek the unions’ and our colleagues’ collective feedback before any proposals are finalised.

"We are encouraging staff to share their views and access the range of support we have made available during this unsettling and difficult time.”

UCU is planning a demonstration opposite the Llandaff campus on May 22, demanding no compulsory redundancies.

A union source said: “We are getting towards the end of the academic year and it is unlikely that any industrial action will now take place in the new academic year starting in September and October.

“These are very grim times and there is clearly a need for a total rethink about the funding of higher education in Wales. Realistically that’s unlikely to happen before next year’s Senedd election, so in the meantime we shall be defending our members by refusing to accept compulsory redundancies.”