Cardiff University staff threaten strike action over redundancies and workloads

Members of Cardiff University’s University and College Union (UCU) branch have voted to pursue industrial action after negotiations with university management over job security and staff workloads broke down.

The union’s demands include a commitment to no compulsory redundancies throughout 2027 and a collective agreement to ensure manageable staff workloads. The decision follows an Emergency General Meeting on October 13th, where 97 per cent of members voted in favour of the motion, with three per cent abstaining.

UCU members will next take part in a consultative ballot in November, ahead of a potential statutory ballot on strike action and action short of a strike in early 2027. No strike dates have been announced.

Staff cuts and workload concerns

The dispute comes after Cardiff University announced large-scale job losses and restructuring plans in January 2025.

According to Cardiff UCU, at least 170 academic staff members have left the university since 2024, alongside reductions in professional services staff. The union argued voluntary redundancy schemes, staff departures and unfilled vacancies have contributed to increasing workloads for those who remain. Cardiff UCU also claimed that restructuring exercises have created confusion and increased stress among staff, with changes to the time allocated for teaching and research adding to existing pressures.

The union said negotiations with the University Executive Board failed to reach an agreement on job security and workloads at a Joint Negotiating Committee meeting on September 9th.

While university management previously committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies in 2025 and 2026, UCU says it has not received the same assurance for 2027. A Cardiff UCU spokesperson said: “All our members want is job security and a say in how their workloads are agreed. These are modest demands.”

The spokesperson acknowledged the university’s financial difficulties but argued that staff welfare, job security and the quality of education should remain priorities.

What is Cardiff UCU demanding?

Cardiff UCU has outlined two central demands as it prepares for a potential dispute. The first is a commitment that there will be no compulsory redundancies in 2027, with no detriment to staff resulting from changes to their roles. The second is a signed collective agreement on workloads, covering both academic and professional services staff.

Under the proposed agreement, the union wants staff responsibilities to reflect their career pathways, grades and roles. It is also calling for union representation in workload-related working groups, joint oversight of workload models and protected research time for academics.

Cardiff UCU argues that further staff reductions would worsen existing workload pressures and could affect the quality of education provided to students.

Peter Hill, a UCU Wales/Cymru official, said: “Impossible workloads and reductions in research time erode quality education to students’ disadvantage.”

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He called on senior management to work with Cardiff UCU to ensure university decisions are sustainable.

Could students be affected?

Although the proposed action centres on staff employment conditions, students could also be affected if the dispute escalates.

Previous UCU ballots at Cardiff have included the possibility of strike action and action short of a strike, including a marking and assessment boycott.

However, the union has not yet confirmed what form any future industrial action would take. This would depend on the outcome of the planned ballots and decisions made by members.

A marking boycott or strike action is a potential future consequence, not a confirmed disruption to teaching or assessments.

Cardiff UCU said the threat of industrial action has helped secure commitments against compulsory redundancies in 2025 and 2026, but argues that further assurances are now needed. The next stage is the consultative ballot planned for November, which will indicate members’ views on progressing towards formal industrial action ballots in 2027.

A spokesperson for Cardiff University told The Cardiff Tab: “Once again we are disappointed to learn of UCU decisions via their briefings to the media, rather than through dialogue with the university. This action is not in the spirit of partnership working.

“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.”

A UCU spokesperson said: “The University Executive Board did not, despite claims to the contrary to journalists, ‘learn of UCU decisions via our briefings to the press rather than in dialogue with the university’.”

Featured image via Wikimedia Commons

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