Uni staff threaten disruption with strikes over planned cuts

University staff are planning strike action.

- Rob Browne

University makes any compulsory redundancies. Action would include a marking and assessment boycott and a series of all-out strike days in the face of what the union described as “cruel and unnecessary cuts”.

In a statutory ballot 83% of Cardiff UCU members’ votes backed strike action, and 86% backed action short of a strike up to and including an assessment boycott, far exceeding the 50% legal threshold needed.

The union said this is the biggest mandate in the branch's history, and said it hoped that “the university's executive board will meet staff demands before any action begins”.

The two other campus unions, Unite and Unison, have also agreed to instruct their members, mainly professional services support staff, to not cover work for UCU members engaging in industrial action.

The UCU said in a statement: “Members have considered their options and voted for a hard-hitting plan of action beginning with a one-day strike on May 1.

“If staff demands are not met by this point this will be followed by an indefinite assessment boycott beginning on May 6 and including seven further strike days in May and June.

“Cardiff University is currently inviting students graduating this summer to graduation ceremonies which may be disrupted by the boycott of assessment work.

“Senior managers have been warned that unless they agree to staff demands “a summer of chaos” will ensue that will add to the damage their controversial cuts plans have already caused”.

A spokesperson from the branch said: “Members are reluctant to engage in industrial action because of the impact it has on students. They are even more averse to using the ‘nuclear option’ of an assessment boycott.