Tag Archives: News Roundup 26 November 2018

A weekly roundup of Cardiff UCU news and announcements

Letter to the Vice Chancellor on the threat of compulsory redundancies

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Many members have expressed concern after reports in the Welsh media suggested the University was facing financial difficulties and considering widespread redundancies. We have been working, behind the scenes, to get more information from the University about its plans to make cuts, as well as to ensure we are consulted properly so we can represent you effectively.

Our priority is to work with the University to avoid compulsory redundancies, but the University has so far been unable to offer reassurances in this regard. We want to avoid a dispute over this, but we’ve been clear with the University that if it doesn’t engage with us we’ll consult with our members about next steps.

We have requested (for the second time) that the University convene a meeting of the Joint Negotiating Committee of campus unions so that real engagement can happen and a dispute can be avoided.

Read our letter to the Vice-Chancellor (PDF).

We will keep you informed of any progress that is made, and continue to fight against the threat of compulsory redundancies.

 

Some light reading about the USS pension dispute

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As ever, our colleagues at USS Briefs have been working hard to keep up the pressure over pensions. This piece, co-written by Cardiff UCU’s Nicky Priaulx, provides an excellent overview of how we’ve been completely vindicated in striking and fighting to retain our pensions.

Cardiff UCU’s Woon Wong has been tirelessly engaging with all of the relevant stakeholders to advance his analysis of the “phantom deficit” behind USS – read his most recent piece.

And finally, this one isn’t about pensions per se, but instead about the dangers of Universities acting like banks and issuing large public bonds. As you read, remember that Cardiff University issued a £300 million bond a few years ago, and that all our employers’ upcoming decisions (about pensions, pay, and broader working conditions) are likely to be in some way affected by this increasing financialized debt: