University staff at Cardiff University are set to strike next month over deep cuts to courses and educator numbers.
The University and College Union (UCU) announced, after an earlier successful ballot of members, that a full strike will take place on 1 May, with a further seven days of action across the summer unless the university leadership promises to not make any compulsory redundancies.
“Whatever we can do to support striking lecturers we will”
Cerys Keane
On 28 January, the university announced proposals to cut 400 full-time equivalent academic staff, merge some schools and close courses due to budget difficulties.
Cuts included the proposed total cutting of all nursing courses at the university.
Earlier this week, Professor Stephen Riley, pro vice-chancellor of the College of Biomedical and Life Sciences at Cardiff University, emailed nursing staff to say that an “alternative plan” to cutting nurse courses entirely had been found.
However, cohort sizes would be shrunk, the announcement said, with cuts still impacting the school under which nursing is taught.
Deep cuts to other courses, with the threat of some being ended entirely, also remain.
It is not known whether academic nursing staff are due to join UCU’s strikes, or what impact industrial action may have on the current cohort of student nurses.
As well as walk outs, UCU announced marking and assessment boycotts from 6 May and work-to-rule from the same date.
Cerys Keane, a third-year adult nursing student at Cardiff and organiser for campaign group Save Nursing, said her group would be “encouraging” student nurses to attend pickets to express “solidarity” with staff impacted across the university.
“Whatever we can do to support striking lecturers we will, including potential for further protests,” she said.
Ms Keane added: “It is not in our power as students to strike and we aren’t in favour of advising students to strike and affecting their registration as we must complete 2,300 hours in order to qualify… without these restrictions we of course would have joined any industrial action.
“We extend our full solidarity and support to all lecturers taking strike action and are inspired and bolstered by their willingness to defend education and healthcare in Wales.”
A university spokesperson described the potential strikes as “disappointing” and warned that it would disrupt students across the institution.
“We will do everything we can to minimise its impact,” the spokesperson said.
“The university will remain open and in some areas teaching, research and services will be unaffected.
“We recognise that these are extremely difficult and challenging times. However, it is important to stress that our proposals remain subject to an on-going 90-day consultation.
“They aim to secure the long-term future of the university and we’d urge UCU, and our other campus unions, to continue to work with us.
“Compulsory redundancies will always be the last resort and that we want to continue to work in partnership to avoid them.”
More on the Cardiff situation
