MORE than 200 university staff have been told of potential changes to their terms and conditions as part of a restructuring exercise.

The 240 members of staff at Durham University are all employed by the facilities management services department and include a wide range of trades, ranging from cleaning and care-taking to event management, postal, retail, reception and customer services.

Staff affected also include building, mechanical and electrical services, maintenance and what the university calls business resilience.

At two mass meetings at the main Durham campus and a separate meeting at the Queen’s Campus, in Stockton, staff were told that that the university was undertaking a review of all facilities management services.

A spokesman for the university said: “The proposals, which are subject to consultation, have been developed to respond positively to business demands and to address the need for continued high-standard, consistent and efficient services.

“Key features of the proposals include the introduction of a unified management structure and enhanced career development for staff.

Paulina Lubacz, the university's chief operating officer, added: “Universities are continually subject to new business demands and expectations.

"We must respond positively to these changes to ensure a consistently world-class environment for our students, staff and visitors.

“The university is consulting fully with trade unions and staff on the proposals.”

Suzanne Reid, a full-time officer with the GMB union, said: “It is very complex and we can’t go into individual circumstances.

"Some of the talks are about reducing hours, others have been about working in a different location to where they work now.

"But what I must stress is that it is only a consultation at the moment.”

Mrs Reid said GMB officials had been at the mass meetings to support their members.

“Every individual was given an information pack. This is the opportunity for the union to consult with our members,” she added.

She said one-to-one meetings between individual employees and managers had got underway and GMB officers were representing their members.

“We are in negotiations to minimise any kind of impact on our members,” she added.

One of the employees affected by the changes, who asked not to be identified, said: “A lot of us have had our hours cut. I have had mine cut by half yet where I work needs more staff. A lot of people are angry at what is happening. I won’t be able to pay my bills.”