Cardiff University workers to fight job cuts

By a Cardiff UCU member

Staff at Cardiff University have been informed of plans to cut 380 posts over five years. This announcement comes while branches of the University and College Union (UCU) are balloting nationally over workload, casualisation, the gender pay gap and general levels of pay.

UCU members at Cardiff University have responded to the job-cuts announcement by organising a simultaneous ballot over the threat of compulsory redundancies. Staffing cuts won’t just affect those losing work. A UCU higher education sector survey in 2016 found that University staff were already working an average of almost two days unpaid overtime and week and further staffing cuts at Cardiff will further increase stress for remaining staff, who will be expected to cover the excess workload.

The University has a budget deficit of more than £20m and management claim that employment is the most significant of the University’s current costs – although the staffing cuts they’re aiming at don’t seem to be targeting the Vice Chancellors salary of over £256,000 (or his 5-figure “performance bonus”). In reality, the University is favouring new buildings over staff – it’s currently undergoing a £600m campus development, and in 2016 borrowed £300m – the largest public bond in the history of UK higher education – at £9m interest per year.

Cardiff UCU are working hard to overcome the Tory anti-trade union laws with their 50% turnout requirement by linking both ballots as assaults on jobs and working conditions. This time last year, the branch and more than 60 others were preparing for a militant 14 days of strike action over one month over attacks on pensions which led to serious employer concessions.

At Cardiff University, Socialist Students and the Trades Council invigorated UCU members and pulled them into the wider Trade Union movement. These impressive strikes showed the potential power of organised collective action and this year, UCU members are better prepared for what’s ahead. Support by students, the wider trade union movement and militant rank-and-file action will send a clear message to Cardiff University management that staff will not tolerate further assaults on their working conditions, but we must also use the union elections this year to elect a fighting left leadership to coordinate our fight back.