Union takes campaign against Cardiff University cuts to the House of Lords

Martin Shipton

Cardiff University academics are hoping members of the House of Lords will take up their campaign against job losses this week when the university holds a reception for its alumni.

Lord Griffiths of Burry Port has organised a reception in the Houses of Parliament on behalf of the university for which alumni are being expected to pay.

They are invited to the event with Pat Younge (Chair of University Council) and Prof Wendy Larner (the Vice Chancellor) where they can: “enjoy wine and canapés in the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace, with wonderful views of the River Thames.”

The Cardiff branch of the University and College Union (Cardiff UCU) are targeting the event as part of its extensive political lobbying against the cuts after members said they felt “insulted” that it was going ahead in the current context.

Draft letter

They have circulated a draft letter for at-risk staff to send to Welsh Members of the House of Lords, and numerous of them have already responded offering support. The letter says: “On March 13 my university, Cardiff University, is holding a reception in the House of Lords for alumni at 6pm.

‘I am one of 1800 academic staff at Cardiff University who was told on January 29 that our jobs were at risk of redundancy. I am writing to encourage you to go to the reception, which is being hosted by Lord Griffiths of Burry Port, and to ask the following questions of the Vice Chancellor and other leading university figures:

* Why have they delayed until 2025 taking serious action to address the university deficit? Earlier action could have meant a more measured approach, and the Vice Chancellor told staff on February 4 that action could have been taken earlier.

* Why have they determined that they need to take such sharp, destructive action in the short term, rather than spreading out their financial remediation over a period of years, especially given that there is £188m in available cash to draw on?

* Why are they threatening to close the schools of nursing, music, ancient history, modern languages, religion and theology?

* How many professional services staff jobs do they expect to cut after the current round of academic job losses takes place? Is it true that they expect as many as 600 further jobs to go?

* What action do they plan to restore trust at home and abroad after these cuts have paralysed the university and damaged its reputation, undermining its position as Wales’ leading research-led university and only Russell Group university?

“If you are unable to attend the reception, I hope that you will write to the Vice Chancellor raising these questions.”

Strike action

A spokesperson for Cardiff UCU said: ‘We are currently balloting members on strike action. The mood in the university is angry and people are committed to doing what is necessary to save their jobs. Senior managers need to understand that the union will follow the university and pose these kinds of questions wherever it goes, whether that be the House of Lords or Kazakhstan, where it has been announced that teaching will start this autumn.

“The University Executive Board’s actions have seriously damaged Cardiff University ’s reputation domestically and internationally. We have considerable staff, student, community, and political support and will mobilise it to pressure them to accept a less draconian and more measured restructuring plan to save jobs and avoid harming the institution irreparably.

“Senior managers at the university insist that the level of cuts proposed are needed to balance the books, but Cardiff UCU’s independent expert financial analysis suggests otherwise. At the root of the cuts is a self-imposed plan to chase a 12% surplus on the budget. This would make sense if the university were a business, with the need to pay dividends to shareholders. It would also make sense if the institution had very low reserves, which is also not the case – Cardiff is currently sitting on £188m in cash reserves.

“As a union branch, we recognise there are problems with Cardiff’s finances and the funding of UK Higher Education (HE) more broadly. But these cuts are avoidable, and we have consistently urged more cautious action aimed at a more gradual recovery.”

Finances

Cardiff UCU has analysed the documents shared with it about Cardiff University’s finances and consulted with HE financial expert Andrew McGettigan on its financial position and strategy.

The union’s analysis of the data presented to it by the university’s Chief Financial Officer and recent annual reports show that:

* The massive cuts hinge on the university chasing a huge operating surplus on adjusted income. No rationale for this has been provided, except by reference to sector averages;

* This is an ambitious target which is at the core of the austerity plan we are currently facing, the threat of widespread compulsory redundancies and the axing of entire programmes and departments;

* The 12% operating surplus on adjusted income target may have made sense in a previous era in order to build capital and would make sense for institutions that have very low reserves with the urgent need to maintain financial sustainability, but Cardiff University has large amounts of accessible cash (£188m as of July 31 2024, more since the most recent accounts were released).

* This target seems to be prioritising the health of the university’s bank account for its own sake, instead of prioritising the health of the organisation and the lives of its staff. As an organisation run on charitable principles, Cardiff University is not meant to hoard cash beyond what is necessary for the stability of the organisation.

* As mentioned above, Cardiff University currently has about £188m in accessible cash which it can use to turn things around positively in a more gradual, measured, and sustainable manner over a longer period.