UNIVERSITY union leaders promised strike action in Wales today unless compulsory redundancies were taken off the table at Cardiff University.

UCU Cymru national officer Gareth Lloyd was speaking on an education panel at the Plaid Cymru conference in Llandudno when he was asked about threatened compulsory redundancies.

The union said 1,400 of its members received emails from Cardiff University on Thursday stating they were still “in scope” for redundancy. 

UCU Cymru maintains that compulsory redundancies are unnecessary and the university’s existing cash reserves of more than £188 million should be used to fund a more gradual recovery which does not sacrifice jobs.

Mr Lloyd said: “Industrial action in universities in Wales is very rare, but we are appalled at that decision by Cardiff University and were not told about the letter to staff.

“I have called for a breathing space with compulsory redundancies ruled out while we get around the table for talks.

“But if they don’t talk to us we will take strike action.”

The UCU Cardiff University branch is also worried that Cardiff University has linked future narrowing of the redundancy pool to its plans to open a branch in Kazakhstan.

A UCU Cardiff spokesman said: “Cardiff University is a significant research-led Russell Group university with an international reputation that attracts students from all over the globe.

“Yet its plans for transnational education appear now to be driven by opportunism rather than a carefully thought-out strategy.

“We mean no disrespect to the Kazakh people or their government when we say Cardiff University’s head-first dive into their country is in danger of rebounding.”