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Cardiff University staff vote to strike over pay dispute

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Staff at Cardiff University voted 80% in favour of strike action

Staff at Cardiff University have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay and working conditions.

Just over 50% of the members of the University and College Union (UCU) at the university voted in the ballot, with 80% in favour of strike action.

Cardiff University will now join 36 others across the UK that have met the threshold for mandated strike action.

In a statement the university said it was "disappointed" with the outcome of the ballot.

The mandate to take strike action will last until October 2022.

According to UCU estimates, inflation figures mean staff pay is down by more than a quarter in real terms since 2009.

The union said it was demanding a £2,500 pay rise for all university employees, an end to pay inequalities, an end to zero-hour "insecure" contracts and action to tackle "unmanageable workloads".

Members across various UK universities have already taken 13 days of strike action in this academic year.

Some Cardiff University students have expressed concerns any strike action would have a "huge impact" on their learning.

Students
Spanish and politics student Lauren Saunders, pictured right, says she is concerned about the support students will receive

Sociology student Isabel Bowen said: "I think with exams coming up, it's already a stressful time for students, so without the support of teachers it will make everything 10 times more stressful."

Lauren Saunders, who studies Spanish and politics, said: "I am concerned regarding the support students will receive".

Chemistry student Carl Panis added: "How am I going to ask for help from my tutors? It might affect my exams.

"We might have fewer lectures during the strike and it might have a huge impact on my learning."

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Cardiff is the only university in Wales to meet the 50% legal threshold of UCU members voting in the ballot to meet the mandate for strike action.

A spokesperson for Cardiff University said: "Whilst it's not yet clear what form and when action will take place, industrial action will inevitably have a negative impact on some of our students.

"Whilst we respect the right of staff to take part in legal industrial action, our priority remains to provide education for our students.

"We can assure students that the university will remain open, and we will do everything possible to minimise the disruption to their studies."