Employees at a university planning to eliminate 400 full-time positions due to financial constraints have supported taking industrial action.

Over 64% of members from Cardiff’s University and College Union (UCU) chapter participated in a vote, where 83% backed strikes and 86% supported taking actions less severe than striking, which could include withholding assessments.

This follows after Cardiff University announced the cost-saving measures, which might also result in course cancellations and department consolidations in fields such as nursing, modern languages, religious studies, music, and ancient history.

The UCU stated that employees were "enraged," potentially affecting summer graduation ceremonies, whereas Cardiff University expressed their disappointment with the result.

The UCU mentioned that the support for university employees' struggle includes renowned musician and activist Dafydd Iwan, who expressed his concerns stating, “Having served as a fellow at three institutions in Wales, I am deeply troubled by the significant reduction in funding they face nowadays. The prosperity of Wales heavily relies on maintaining robust and forward-thinking universities.”

The outcome of the vote allows members to go on strike unless management commits to not enforcing mandatory layoffs.

This week, staff will convene to determine the subsequent actions, which may encompass the possibility of striking as well as measures less severe than a full strike.

Following their introduction, they are required to provide the University with a two-week notification prior to initiating any actions, which they anticipate starting within the upcoming 28 days.

'Cruel and unnecessary'

Andy Williams from Cardiff UCU stated: "The fury and disappointment amongst employees, along with the administration's stubbornness, unfortunately make disruptive strike actions highly probable."

According to the UCU, their separate examination of Cardiff University’s financial situation indicated that the university has access to £188 million in reserve funds to safeguard employment positions.

He stated that he conveyed a "message of support to all those campaigning to safeguard the jobs, courses, and standards at Cardiff University."

The Cardiff University UCU branch president, Dr. Joey Whitfield, stated that the voting outcome demonstrated how strongly against the harsh and unwarranted reductions the employees stood.

"The moment has come for the leadership at Cardiff University to hear out their staff and the substantial backing from the public, politicians, culture enthusiasts, and communities they've garnered, lest they cause additional harm to the institution’s already tarnished image," he stated.

Cardiff University stated that industrial action would "unavoidably lead to disruptions for some students" and emphasized that they will "make every effort to reduce its effects."

I want to emphasize that this step will not affect the entire university. It will stay operational, with numerous departments continuing their classes, studies, and support functions as usual.

Its proposals were still contingent upon a continuing 90-day consultation process.

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