‘It’s sad it had to come to this’: Welsh unis to strike for 18 days this semester

Universities across the United Kingdom will be going on strike during February and March for 18 days due to disputes over pay, pensions, and working conditions.

Staff that are part of The University and College Union (UCU) from all the Welsh universities will be part of the 70,000 staff members from 150 different universities across the UK.

A spokesperson from UCU noted on Twitter that there would also be a marking and assessment boycott which would affect those graduating this year, if demands are not met.

The spokesperson continued to say that UCU had rejected offers put to the table during negotiations as they told members via social media that the proposed offers “fall way short of what you deserve”.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Today our union came together to back an unprecedented programme of escalating strike action. The clock is now ticking for the sector to produce a deal or be hit with widespread disruption.

“University staff dedicate their lives to education and they want to get back to work, but that will only happen if university vice-chancellors use the vast wealth of the sector to address over a decade of falling pay, rampant insecure employment practices and devastating pension cuts. The choice is theirs.”

One Cardiff Uni student who spoke to The Tab about the latest strikes news said: “I do support the strikes, but we are missing out on a lot, especially those who joined university during the pandemic, like me, who lost one and a half years of study.”

Another explained that he did not support the strike action, however that the way that the UCU have handled strikes in the past has made him “want to support them far more than unions such as those on the railway, who tend to strike for more selfish reasons and come across as very hostile and defensive when questioned”.

A third student added: “As an international student who has come and genuinely never seen stuff like this, I find the whole concept both alien and sad. As much as this puts a message out, a lot of international students are still confused as to what and how strikes work, which can be really scary for quite a few people.”

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• UK unis to be hit with another 18 days of lecturer strikes before Easter

• Here’s what Cardiff Uni students really think of the Christmas rail strikes

• Cardiff Uni students are taking legal action against the uni regarding Covid and strikes