A meeting for staff at Aberystwyth University heard plans for ongoing re-organisation and restructuring at the institution following the announcement of up to 200 job losses last May.

The meeting on 19 February was ‘routine’, Aberystwyth University told the Cambrian News, but comes on the back of news that the university is wrestling with a deficit for last year of £8.1m, with more than £14m of savings identified as part of a ‘transformation programme’ in a bid to balance the books.

As the cost-cutting continues at Aberystwyth – and at universities across Wales - the UCU union said that it is “focused on working with the university to mitigate the impact on staff, not only in terms of saving jobs but also in ensuring that staff workloads are sustainable.”

A UCU spokesperson said: “Each job lost results in additional work for staff filling the gaps.

“In a town like Aberystwyth, where alternative employment is limited, each job lost impacts individual livelihoods and our community directly.

“The university is an anchor institution of this town, at the heart of its identity as well as economic and cultural life.”

An Aberystwyth University spokesperson said the meeting was “routine”, with one held around this time every year, and was to “update staff about the progress we are making on the plans we announced last year.”

With the identified £14m of savings, the university aims to achieve a deficit of £3m this year.

UCU said the plans outlined at the meeting are a continuation of the 150 to 200 job losses announced in May, and focus on making further savings for next year with the aim of balancing the books by 2026.

With financial issues surrounding Welsh universities - with Bangor cutting 200 jobs and the Lampeter campus of UWTSD being downgraded - UCU warned of a “crisis in higher education funding.”

An Aberystwyth University spokesperson responding to the comments made by UCU, said: “We are very much aware of the impact the challenges facing UK higher education institutions are having on many people, including our own hardworking and dedicated staff, whose welfare we take extremely seriously.

“In May last year, we announced a plan to tackle the sector-wide financial pressures which are the result of widely-documented factors including recent periods of high inflation, fees that have not kept up with rising costs, and a UK-wide downturn in international recruitment.

“Last week, we held our routine second semester all staff meeting – that included an update on the progress we are making on the transformation programme we announced back last year, including progress towards spending reduction targets that currently remain in line with those set out last May.

“We are very grateful for the strong working relationship we have with the trades unions and the vital role that relationship plays as we face up to the headwinds facing the sector by working together.”