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Protests at planned university job cuts

15 May 2009

Members of UCU at Cardiff University will today demonstrate at Cardiff University over plans to axe 140 jobs and cut 250 courses at the institution's Centre for Lifelong Learning.

Staff and students will demonstrate outside a meeting of the Cardiff University Council and call on governors to vote to withdraw the 90-day consultation on redundancies issued by management in April.

Under the proposals, courses in literature, creative writing, history and archaeology, music, philosophy, art history, religion, photography and some Welsh courses would no longer run from September 2009.

'The simple truth is that the university can afford to keep these courses running and to deliver fair pay for staff at the same time. There doesn't have to be a trade-off.'
Todd Bailey
Cardiff University UCU

Todd Bailey, vice-president of Cardiff University UCU said: 'The cuts are simply outrageous. Thousands of students will lose out and hundreds of staff face redundancy. The simple truth is that the university can afford to keep these courses running and to deliver fair pay for staff at the same time. There doesn't have to be a trade-off.

"The deficit predicted each year is around £200,000, which is a small sum when considered alongside the millions of pounds Cardiff University makes each year. UCU wants to work with the university to help find a way forward, but not while the threat of redundancy hangs over our members. The university's Council members should listen to the voice of staff and students and vote to throw out these cuts.'

UCU General Secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'This campaign is supported by students, the public and by local politicians. UCU members are rightly angry because they can see the double standards.  The university claims it can't afford equal pay for part-time staff, but at the same time it awards the vice-chancellor an inflation-busting pay rise and a salary of £234,000.'

Background:

  1. The Centre for Lifelong Learning is a Cardiff University service which operates across South East Wales.
  1. In April the university launched a 90-day consultation on proposals for 140 redundancies and course cuts to the humanities department.  Under the proposals, courses in literature, creative writing, history and archaeology, music, philosophy, art history, religion, photography and Welsh courses would no longer run from September 2009.
  2. Cardiff University are proposing the cuts in response to negotiations on equal pay which would have delivered fair pay to part-time lecturing staff.
  3. A recent Times Higher Education survey showed that David Grant (vice-chancellor of Cardiff University) earned £234,000 in 2007-08.
Last updated: 11 December 2015

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