The recent experiences of other UCU branches shows that if we want to keep our jobs the best (and possibly only) way is to have an active mandate for industrial action so we can act quickly against compulsory redundancies should they be announced.
In response to the Vice-Chancellor’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies, and having exhausted the formal procedures for avoiding a dispute set out in our Recognition Agreement, on Thursday 13 December Cardiff UCU declared a Trade Dispute, as the first step towards balloting our members on Industrial Action (you can read copies of this brief letter, as well as a longer one justifying and explaining our position).
Our principle aim in this dispute will be the avoidance of compulsory redundancies at Cardiff University.
No Trade Union takes industrial action lightly, and we’ll do everything we can to avoid the need for it, but Tory anti-Union legislation means we need to set the wheels in motion now, plan for the worst, and be ready to face compulsory job cuts if (more likely, when) they come.
What can you do:
- Join our new Cardiff UCU Dispute Committee, which will be open to all members, to plan our strategy for defending our jobs (first meeting soon, TBA; to express interest contact ucu@cardiff.ac.uk);
- Spread the word about, and attend, our upcoming open staff meetings for information sharing and planning to resist the cuts: The first joint staff meeting will be held on Thursday 20 December 1-2pm in the Wallace Lecture Theatre (rm. 0.13 Main Building, Park Place);
- Be ready to vote in indicative online polls and formal ballots on local industrial action in the new Year – and please vote in favour of Industrial action to empower your local negotiators to better defend your jobs and those of your colleagues;
- Be inspired by the success and tactics of other UCU branches who’ve fought redundancies and won (see p.79 onwards of the Branch Solidarity Network’s UCU Activist Handbook)