ACADEMICS hit back today at Cardiff University’s revised plans for ongoing job cuts at the institution, with a Cardiff UCU spokesperson expressing ”very serious concerns about the way that the university is rushing through these premature and ill-justified plans to restructure.”

Though the union welcomed the university’s U-turn on some of its more damaging proposals under threat of industrial action, a UCU spokesperson warned that ”our members remain deeply disappointed that, despite hundreds of meetings with staff, management are still not fully hearing our concerns and are ploughing ahead in the same-old macho way.”

The UCU pointed out that more than 400 staff currently remain in scope for redundancy, with whole schools and programmes axed, including ancient history, religion, German, Portuguese and Italian.

The university’s statement claimed that the business case for the changes was shaped by staff and “means we would become a slightly smaller university, refocused around core academic strengths.”