Cardiff University faces fresh industrial action threat over jobs and workloads

Nation.Cymru Staff

Cardiff University faces the threat of industrial action in 2027 after union members backed demands for protection against compulsory redundancies and an agreement to tackle “dangerous, unhealthy and unmanageable” workloads.

The Cardiff branch of the University and College Union (UCU) plans to hold a consultative ballot in November, followed by a formal industrial action ballot in early February if the dispute remains unresolved.

The union says negotiations broke down after management declined to guarantee there would be no compulsory redundancies in 2027 or agree sufficient protections on workloads.

Members backed the branch’s demands at an emergency general meeting on October 13, with 97% voting in favour and 3% abstaining.

The dispute is the branch’s third since the university announced plans for large-scale job losses and restructuring in January 2025.

Previous disputes ended with commitments protecting staff against compulsory redundancies in 2025 and 2026, avoiding industrial action over those proposals.

However, UCU says substantial numbers of staff have still left through voluntary severance, voluntary redundancy and departures where posts have not been filled.

According to the union, at least 170 academics have left, alongside reductions in professional services staff. It argues that the losses, combined with restructuring and changes to the time allocated for teaching and research, have increased pressure on those remaining.

A Cardiff UCU spokesperson said: “Despite this, we have still lost many hundreds of colleagues and those who remain are facing dangerous, unhealthy, and unmanageable workloads. An already-existing workload crisis is getting even worse.”

The union is seeking a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies during the 2027 calendar year, alongside protection for staff whose roles are changed through restructuring.

It also wants a signed collective agreement on workloads, including joint oversight of academic and professional services workloads, union representation on relevant working groups and protected research time.

Talks over the summer ended without agreement at a Joint Negotiating Committee meeting on September 9, according to UCU.

The spokesperson said: “Senior management will claim that financial difficulties leave them no choice but to cut jobs further. We understand the deficit is real but, as we have argued for two years, the University has a lot more accessible cash than other struggling HE institutions.

“Making cuts is always about priorities. Jobs, staff welfare and our ability to provide an excellent education for our students should always be a top priority, and not the first things to go.”

November’s consultative ballot would gauge support for action but would not itself authorise strikes.

A subsequent statutory ballot would ask members about strike action and action short of a strike. UCU said members would decide what form any action took, noting that previous ballots had included the possibility of a marking and assessment boycott.

‘Red line’

Peter Hill, a UCU Wales official, said: “We continue to maintain a red line against compulsory redundancies. Similarly, we recognise the effects of job losses are felt by those who remain within the university. Impossible workloads and reductions in research time erode quality education to students’ disadvantage.”

The university previously said compulsory redundancies were a last resort and that staff reductions were needed to secure its long-term future. In December 2025, it said some posts would still need to go by 2029/30 as activities ceased or diminished, with reductions expected through voluntary departures and recruitment controls.

‘Challenging’

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “We recognise that this has been an incredibly difficult and challenging period of change. The University has always sought to work constructively with our trade union colleagues to help manage staff workloads and ensure that any necessary reductions in staffing levels are made over time and, wherever possible, through voluntary means. Whilst compulsory redundancies will always be our last resort – like any organisation, they can never be completely ruled out.

“It is disappointing that industrial action is being considered. If UCU secure a mandate, it will inevitably cause disruption for some of our students and wider University community. The University would remain open, and whilst teaching, research and support services may be impacted for some, we would do everything we can to minimise its impact.

“It is important to stress and reassure our student community, that action would not impact the whole University. We’d urge UCU to continue to work with us, in partnership, as we do everything we can to secure the long-term future of our University.”

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.