Here are the dates for the 18 days of strikes at Cardiff University this term

The dates for Cardiff University’s strikes have just been announced by the University and College Union.

This is the largest coordination of strikes that UK universities have faced and the UCU has reported lecturers have suffered a minus 10 per cent rise in their salaries over the last ten years and as a result, will be striking for 18 days this year.

The strikes will commence from next week on Wednesday 1st February.

The full dates for the strikes are:

• Week 1 – Wednesday 1st February
• Week 2 – Thursday 9th and Friday 10th February
• Week 3 – Tuesday 14th, Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th February
• Week 4 – Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd February
• Week 5 – Monday 27th, Tuesday 28th February, Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd March
• Week 6 – Thursday 16th and Friday 17th March
• Week 7 – Monday 20th, Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22 March

Tomorrow, Wednesday 25th January, UCU members will negotiate with university employer representatives. For the strikes to not take place, the union will accept a substantial improvement on the pay offer of 4-5 per cent.

Cardiff University is just one of 150 universities nationwide taking part in the industrial action, with over 70,000 staff across all the institutions expected to go on strike due to continued disputes over pay, pensions, and work conditions, among other things.

The first date of industrial action in February coincides with the TUC’s “protect the right to strike” day, a protest against the Conservative government’s plans to introduce strict anti-strike measures through parliament. Five unions, including UCU, NEU, ASLEF, PCS and RMT, have already confirmed they will be joining this day of action.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “The university sector in the UK has over £40bn sitting in reserves, but instead of using that vast wealth to deliver a cost-of-living pay rise and reverse devastating pension cuts, university vice-chancellors would rather force staff to take strike action and see campuses shut down.

“There is a clear route out of these disputes, but at present vice-chancellors lack the political will to take it. They are failing staff who want to get back to work, and students who want to get on with their studies.

“Students understand that staff working conditions are their learning conditions and we are proud to have their support in these disputes. A system that relies on low pay and the rampant use of insecure contracts is a system which fails everyone.

“A resolution can be reached, but that is in the gift of university vice-chancellors who need to urgently reassess their priorities and deliver a deal that benefits staff and students. From February, our union will begin reballoting its members to allow action to continue through the rest of the academic year, should they continue to drag their feet.”

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• Cardiff University senior staff have claimed over £43,000 in expenses since 2020

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

• Confirmed: The first day of strikes at Welsh universities will take place in two weeks time