Swansea University - 60 face a jobless New Year

Sixty academics on fixed-term contracts at Swansea University face a jobless New Year when European funding for their posts runs out on 31 December. Some 130 staff have been funded by the "Objective 1" programme of support for underperforming regions of the European Union; 70 have had their contracts renewed or have been moved to other positions within the university, leaving the remainder waiting to see if new European grants will be paid to keep them in work. Andrew Morgan, president of the University and College Union at Swansea, said: "It looks as if the new income will not be available until next March or September. The question is now whether the university will bridge the funding gap." A university spokesperson said: "The individuals concerned have been notified of the conclusion of their contracts and offered access to our redeployment strategy."