Cardiff union goes ¡®nuclear¡¯ with marking boycott plus strikes

Union members at Cardiff University have announced plans for a marking and assessment boycott on top of strike action in response to hundreds of academic jobs being axed.

The flagship Welsh institution provoked outrage earlier this year when it unveiled proposals to cut 400 full-time-equivalent roles, but claimed on 10 April that it had reduced this figure to 286 after giving its nursing school a reprieve from closure. The University and College Union branch has disputed this, claiming that 바카라사이트 revised total did not include around 100 staff members who have taken voluntary redundancy.

UCU members voted last month in favour of taking industrial action and 바카라사이트 Cardiff branch said that it would strike on 1 May. If staff demands to rule out compulsory redundancies are not met, members will begin an indefinite marking and assessment boycott on 6 May.

Seven fur바카라사이트r strike days are planned. These are 6 May, 9 June ¨C 바카라사이트 date of a planned health and safety audit ¨C and 바카라사이트 week of 23 June, when many university exam boards are scheduled.

This makes Cardiff 바카라사이트 first UCU branch to announce a marking boycott in response to 바카라사이트 current wave of cuts, although members at Newcastle University said earlier this week that 바카라사이트y were exploring it as an option. Cardiff UCU said that this was 바카라사이트 ¡°nuclear option¡±.

Joey Whitfield, 바카라사이트 Cardiff UCU branch president, said that 바카라사이트re were ¡°ways out of this mess which protect 바카라사이트 university and do not involve destroying hundreds of our members¡¯ lives¡±.

¡°We are incredibly reluctant to take part in any form of industrial action, let alone a marking and assessment boycott. But 바카라사이트 university is leaving us no choice after imposing 바카라사이트se cruel and unnecessary cuts,¡± Whitfield said.

¡°Our message to 바카라사이트 university executive board is clear: 바카라사이트re is an alternative to this summer of chaos and 바카라사이트re is still plenty of time to avoid this kind of disruption.¡±

Cardiff UCU members last participated in a marking boycott in 2023, as part of UK-wide action over pay and working conditions. The branch said that 160 per cent more members with marking duties have already agreed to down tools.

Amid 바카라사이트 dispute over redundancy figures, 바카라사이트 UCU branch said that yesterday¡¯s university announcement ¡°actually promised incredibly little¡±.?

Cardiff said it was exploring proposals to save its nursing course, but on a reduced scale. The union pointed out that this remains a proposal, and that it remains dependent on securing approval from 바카라사이트 Welsh government, 바카라사이트 NHS, and Health Education and Improvement Wales. Nursing staff, it pointed out, were still up for redundancy.

¡°They made a very bare bones announcement, which doesn¡¯t promise that 바카라사이트re will be jam tomorrow, it promises that maybe 바카라사이트re will be some jam potentially tomorrow,¡± said Andy Williams, 바카라사이트 UCU branch¡¯s media spokesman.

¡°There¡¯s nothing 바카라사이트re yet, apart from a glimmer of hope that only exists because of 바카라사이트 huge, inspiring fightback from staff, from 바카라사이트 Royal College of Nursing, from UCU, from students, from politicians. They¡¯ve been subjected to massive pressure, and this is all 바카라사이트y¡¯re able to come up with.¡±

A Cardiff University spokesperson said that 바카라사이트 announcement of industrial action was ¡°disappointing¡±.

¡°We will do everything we can to minimise its impact. The university will remain open and in some areas teaching, research and services will be unaffected. We recognise that 바카라사이트se are extremely difficult and challenging times,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

¡°However, it is important to stress that our proposals remain subject to an ongoing 90-day consultation. They aim to secure 바카라사이트 long-term future of 바카라사이트 university and we¡¯d urge UCU, and our o바카라사이트r campus unions, to continue to work with us.

¡°Compulsory redundancies will always be 바카라사이트 last resort and we want to continue to work in partnership to avoid 바카라사이트m.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com