VC Colin Riordan has issued a statement on Action Short of a Strike and phased pay deductions

On the morning on the 13th of March, the Cardiff University Twitter account released a statement from Vice-Chancellor, Colin Riordan, which read:

"We understand that colleagues who are participating in industrial action care passionately about their students, and regret what they sincerely see as a necessity for continued action. On that basis, and within the constraints of action short of strike, we take it that colleagues will do everything they can to minimise the impact on students, and to ensure that students are well prepared for examinations."

He went on to say that "We understand that those efforts may take many forms, and that it may be neither practical nor pedagogically desirable to attempt to reschedule classes. We therefore do not envisage circumstances where colleagues will have pay withheld for action short of strike."

"In the interest of maintaining affective employee relations the University will face pay deductions for those participating in strike action over a three-month pay period effective from April 2018. The University also reaffirms its commitment that pay withheld for strike action will stay with academic schools in order to support student education. The University wishes to continue constructive discussions with UCU, and we are all doing all that we can to influence talks at national level in order to secure a sustainable settlement on pensions."

The tweet was met with mixed feelings. Lecturers resoundingly praised Cardiff University's progress, yet outraged students responded with claims that they had received minimal support during the strikes from their respective schools, and that they had been '"forgotten."

Lectures will resume on Monday 19th of March, depending on the upcoming poll results.