Key Points
- Further strike action is threatened at Cardiff University, where the university’s branch of the University and College Union (UCU) has launched a consultative ballot on industrial action.
- The vote will take place in November 2026, with possible strike actions in early 2027.
- UCU claims that the rest of the staff are facing “dangerous, unhealthy and unmanageable workloads” due to cuts in jobs and changes in research and teaching hours.
- This is Cardiff’s third industrial relations dispute since the university announced earlier in 2025 its plans to cut 400 jobs.
- According to UCU, more than 170 academics have left the university since the announcement, and cuts in professional services have also taken place.
- Cardiff hasn’t ruled out compulsory redundancies in 2027 and hasn’t committed to any job security or workload commitment, according to UCU.
- For Cardiff University, compulsory redundancies remain a “last resort,” but they cannot be completely ruled out.
- The university claims it is disappointed that UCU has chosen to propose a ballot on industrial action through the media, rather than through negotiations, while UCU vehemently denies that claim.
- Peter Hill, UCU Wales official, says the union draws a “red line” on compulsory redundancies.
Cardiff (Wales Times) October 29, 2026 – uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff University is facing the prospect of renewed strike action after staff warned that job reductions and changes to academic workloads have created “dangerous, unhealthy and unmanageable” conditions for those who remain.
As reported by Juliette Rowsell of Times Higher Education, the Cardiff branch of the University and College Union has declared its third industrial relations dispute since the institution first announced plans at the start of 2025 to cut 400 jobs. The union has now confirmed that a consultative ballot on strike action will take place in November, with members considering walkouts in early 2027.
The development marks a fresh escalation in a long-running dispute over staffing, workload and job security at one of Wales’s leading universities. UCU argues that the pressure on remaining employees has intensified because more than 170 academics have left since the original restructuring plans were announced, while professional services roles have also been cut.
Why is Cardiff University facing another strike threat?
The immediate trigger is UCU’s claim that Cardiff has failed to provide sufficient assurances on compulsory redundancies, job security and workload following what the union describes as “intense” summer negotiations with university management.
According to Times Higher Education, UCU says the university has not ruled out compulsory job cuts in 2027. The union also says Cardiff has failed to agree commitments on job security and workload, prompting it to begin a consultative ballot rather than move directly to a formal strike ballot.
A consultative ballot allows union members to indicate whether they would be prepared to take industrial action. It is not itself a mandate for strikes, but a strong result would allow UCU to proceed to a formal ballot and potentially organise walkouts in early 2027.
The union says the dispute reflects a wider deterioration in working conditions. It claims that staff cuts, combined with changes to the time allocated for research and teaching, mean remaining academics are facing workloads it describes as dangerous, unhealthy and unmanageable. UCU says an “already existing workload crisis is getting even worse”.
What has UCU said about workloads at Cardiff?
A Cardiff UCU spokesperson told Times Higher Education that the branch recognises the financial deficit facing the university “is real”, but argued that Cardiff has “a lot more accessible cash than other struggling HE institutions”.
The spokesperson said: “Making cuts is always about priorities. Jobs, staff welfare and our ability to provide an excellent education for our students should always be a top priority, and not the first things to go.”
UCU also said that the threat of industrial action by its members has previously limited the impact of the university’s planned cuts and what it called “poorly managed, chaotic restructuring exercises”.
According to the union, pressure from members in 2025 and 2026 forced Cardiff to abandon compulsory redundancy plans and to guarantee no detriment to hundreds of staff whose roles were changed or whose professional lives were disrupted by restructuring.
Peter Hill, a UCU Wales official, said the union “maintains a red line against compulsory redundancies”. He added that the effects of job losses are also felt by staff who remain at the institution.
“Impossible workloads and reductions in research time erode quality education to students’ disadvantage,” Hill said, as reported by Times Higher Education.
How has Cardiff University responded?
Cardiff University said it was disappointed to learn of UCU’s proposed industrial ballot through the media “rather than through dialogue with the university”. UCU heavily denied that characterisation, according to Times Higher Education.
A university spokesperson acknowledged that Cardiff has been through “an incredibly difficult and challenging period of change”, but said the institution could not rule out further job cuts.
“The university has always sought to work constructively with our trade union colleagues to help manage staff workloads and ensure that any necessary reductions in staffing levels are made over time and, wherever possible, through voluntary means,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that compulsory redundancies would “always be our last resort”, while noting that, “like any organisation, they can never be completely ruled out”.
Cardiff also said it was disappointed that industrial action was being considered and urged UCU to continue working with the university “in partnership” as it seeks to secure its long-term future.
What happened in the earlier Cardiff disputes?
The latest threat follows earlier industrial tensions connected to Cardiff’s plans to reduce its workforce. As reported by Times Higher Education, Cardiff agreed to reduce its job-cut targets after facing heavy criticism, the threat of strikes and a marking boycott from UCU.
The university also reached agreements not to carry out compulsory redundancies in 2025 and 2026. Despite those concessions, UCU says more than 170 academics have since left the institution and that professional services roles have been cut as well.
The union’s position is that those departures have left remaining staff carrying additional responsibilities without corresponding protection for workload, research time or job security. Cardiff has not disputed the union’s account of the number of academic departures in the reporting, but has emphasised that it seeks to manage necessary staffing reductions over time and through voluntary means wherever possible.
What could happen next?
The next formal step is the UCU consultative ballot in November. If members support industrial action, the branch could move towards a formal ballot, which would be required before any strike could lawfully proceed.
UCU has indicated that any walkouts would be targeted for early 2027. That timing could place industrial action in the middle of the academic year, although the union has not announced specific strike dates.
The dispute remains focused on three central issues: whether Cardiff will rule out compulsory redundancies in 2027, whether it will offer binding commitments on job security, and whether it will take further action to address workload pressures.
Cardiff’s position is that it wants to continue working constructively with trade unions, manage workloads and make any necessary staffing reductions gradually and voluntarily where possible. UCU’s position is that without firmer commitments, staff will remain exposed to excessive workloads and the possibility of forced job losses.
Background of the development
Cardiff University announced plans in early 2025 to cut 400 jobs, prompting a major dispute with UCU. The union responded with the threat of strikes and a marking boycott, while criticising the scale and handling of the proposed reductions.
Under pressure, Cardiff agreed to lower its job-cut targets and committed not to impose compulsory redundancies in 2025 or 2026. UCU says that despite these agreements, more than 170 academics have left and professional services roles have also been reduced.
The union now says the cumulative effect of those changes has worsened workload pressures for staff who remain. It argues that reduced research time and continuing uncertainty over future staffing make another round of industrial action necessary.
Prediction: How could this affect students and staff?
For Cardiff students, the most direct potential impact would be disruption if UCU members proceed to strike action in early 2027. Teaching, marking, tutorials and administrative support could be affected, depending on the scale and duration of any walkouts. UCU has previously used the threat of a marking boycott during the dispute, although no such action has been confirmed in the current ballot plans.
For remaining staff, the dispute could determine whether the university provides stronger protections against compulsory redundancy and clearer limits on workload. UCU argues that continued job cuts and reduced research time could further affect teaching quality and academic support.
For university management, a vote for action would increase pressure to reach a negotiated settlement before the start of 2027. Cardiff has said it wants to secure the institution’s long-term future through partnership with unions, while maintaining that it cannot entirely exclude compulsory redundancies.
