HIGHER education staff at Cardiff University are balloting for industrial action, their union said today, against proposed cuts of 400 jobs and the loss of four academic courses.

UCU Cardiff branch spokesman Andy Williams said the union had held a successful indicative ballot before Christmas and will now “be asking members to say yes to all-out strikes and action short of a strike, such as a marking boycott.” 

UCU also staff were joining the union in droves and were confident they would win a strike mandate.

The union is critical of the scale of the proposed cuts — the university is seeking to turn a budget deficit of approximately £30 million into a surplus of 12 per cent by next year.

UCU Cardiff is arguing the cuts are avoidable, especially as the university is sitting on £400m of reserves with £188m in available cash.

Cardiff UCU president Dr Joey Whitfield said: “We will continue to make the case for a more cautious and evidence-based approach, but we’ll also fight any compulsory redundancies tooth and nail.”

The cuts to nursing, modern languages, religion and theology, music, and ancient history courses alongside the axing of 400 staff has shocked Welsh politicians and trade unions.

Higher education minister Vikki Howells faced questions in the Senedd today over what the Welsh government knew about the university’s plans.

Ms Howells said she had been briefed about the proposals last week, emphasising the HE sector was independent, but she was having talks with UK skills minister Jacqui Smith about what could be done across Britain.

“We do know from Home Office data that across the UK there’s been a 14 per cent fall in student visa applications in 2024 and a survey of 70 universities found that 80 per cent reported a decrease in international enrolments by 20 per cent,” Ms Howells said.

There is a shortage of nurses in Wales and the Welsh government called the course closure “disappointing.”

RCN Wales’s Helen Whyley said there were thousands of nursing vacancies and “the proposed closure will have a significant impact on the future of nursing in Wales.”

The university is also reviewing professional services and administrative staff and Unison Wales has expressed its concern.

Unison Cymru’s Lynne Hackett said: “If the Westminster government is serious about going for growth across the UK, it needs to provide long-term, sustainable funding in response to the crisis in higher education.”