Cymraeg
Industrial Action
Updates
The University College Union (UCU) confirmed in April that a Marking and Assessment Boycott would commence, affecting 145 universities across the UK. This includes Cardiff, following failed negotiations with the university. The Marking and Assessment Boycott started on 20th April 2023 and will continue indefinitely.
During the Marking and Assessment Boycott, some assessment results will be affected, and some marks may not be received until the boycott ends. For some students in their final year, this may mean a delay in graduation.
For more information from the university, see their webpage. For support and advice, contact the Students' Union Advice service.
Read the full statement from your Sabbatical Officers here.
Read the open letter from the Sabbatical Officers to the Vice Chancellor: Cymraeg / English
Read the response to the open letter from the Vice Chancellor: Cymraeg / English
General Information
What is UCU Industrial Action?
The University College Union (UCU) members working in UK universities have voted in favour of strike action through a national ballot. This is in relation to two issues: one regarding pensions, and the second regarding pay and working conditions.
1. Pensions:
- The overall Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension fund has been valued with a significant deficit – meaning the projection of future money in the pot does not meet the money promised to future pensioners. The valuation methodology used has been highly contested by UCU, as the current valuation was taken at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when markets had begun to crash.
- Pension changes to reduce this pension deficit gap propose both the employers (Universities) and members (University Staff) to contribute more money, with less money paid out to members in retirement than the current scheme offers.
2. Pay and Working Conditions:
- Universities rely on a significant number of staff on precarious or casual contracts which do not provide secure or sustainable working conditions.
- UCU have calculated that the below-inflation pay rises since 2009 have meant university staff pay has received a 20% real-terms cut, and are asking for pay increases to keep up with the Retail Price Index (RPI), especially within the current cost of living crisis that is affecting both staff and students.
- The gender pay gap is an issue across many universities. Cardiff University’s gender pay gap in 2018 was 21.6%, UCU are demanding concrete action to close gender, disability and ethnicity pay gaps.
- University staff are also routinely relied upon to work unpaid overtime – respondents from previous Cardiff University annual Staff Surveys said they could meet the requirements of their job without ‘regularly working unreasonable hours’.
Industrial Action could take different forms:
- Strike Action means not completing any work in the days as specified as strike days. This includes all work such as teaching, researching, marking, administration, meetings etc. Any staff taking part in Strike Action will lose their pay for days absent as a result of participating in the strike.
- Action Short Of a Strike (ASOS), is activity that impacts on general business and workplace functions (for example, not covering or supporting others). This may include Assessment & Feedback boycotts, which may mean assessments are not marked and thus may cause delays to return of results. Any staff taking part in Action Short Of a Strike (ASOS) will lose pay proportionate to the amount of work not undertaken.
Not all staff at Cardiff University and postgraduates are members of UCU and some UCU members may also decide they do not want to participate in Industrial Action for a variety of reasons. However, students may see significant disruption to their learning during this period.
The Students' Union and Industrial Action
Does the Students’ Union support Industrial Action?
In November 2022, students at the Annual General Meeting (attended by over 600 students) voted to support the UCU strike action. Many postgraduate students we represent are also members of UCU and are affected by precarious contracts. The Sabbatical Officers are fully supporting the proposed action.
However, we recognise that for some students, there is a significant concern about the amount of disruption strike action could cause. Whilst the SU has a stance supporting the strike, Student Advice are still able to provide free and impartial advice covering disrupted learning; fee queries; and extenuating circumstances to all students.
The University will make a saving on staff wages during any Industrial Action, particularly if there are strikes. The Students’ Union would ask for transparency on where this saving will be spent and will lobby for money to go back into supporting strike complaints, hardship funds and reimbursing fees for lost contact hours.
Impact on Students
The impact on students is likely to vary for every individual. Although industrial action has been proposed, individual lecturers and academic staff who are UCU members may not declare in advance that they individually will be participating in action. Schools will endeavour to inform students of the disruption where they can and often school offices/hubs will be able to provide more up to date information.
The university is required to continue to offer the service they have promised to students. If school staff take part in Industrial Action, there will be measures in place to reduce the impact on students, and to ensure students are not disadvantaged by the disruption.
If you are concerned about the disruption this will have for you, contact your school or our Student Advice service for information and advice. Student Advice can also help you with a formal complaint should you feel this was necessary.
Stay Up to Date
I’ve still got questions, what do I do?
If you have other questions not covered by the above FAQ’s please let us know. Email StudentsUnion@cardiff.ac.uk or come to Student Advice on the 3rd floor of the Students’ Union where we can advise you in more detail on individual cases.
Where can I get further updates about Industrial Action?
- From UCU – you can find out further information from their website, locally and nationally.
- From the University – they will be providing regular information via email and the intranet.
- From the Students’ Union – we will be keeping this page updated and will be providing more regular information via social media
- For specific Student Advice information, please see here for contact information.
Info from UCU
What is happening?
We are members of the University and College Union (UCU). We are your seminar tutors, professional services staff, and lecturers. We teach you, we support and guide you, and we do the research you rely on. Along with thousands of other UCU members across all UK universities, we are taking part in a ‘Marking and Assessment Boycott’.
A Marking and Assessment Boycott is when university workers stop doing all work relating to students’ summative assessments.
We will carry on doing all other aspects of our jobs, including teaching and supporting your learning and development. You can still contact us as usual if you have any problems or questions about your studies or personal welfare. We will be here for you. This Marking and Assessment Boycott started on 20th April 2023 and it will continue until university bosses make us a fair offer.
Why is it happening?
We are asking university bosses for the following:
1. Give us secure employment with a stable income, so we can plan our lives – not precarious, temporary or hourly-paid jobs.
2. Get rid of pay gaps for gender, race and disability.
3. Pay us enough so we can all afford the rising cost of living.
4. Reduce our workload to a survivable level.
We already took strike action this year and in previous years. Our employers still haven’t made us a fair offer. The Marking and Assessment Boycott is our absolute last resort. We have stopped marking assessments so university bosses will listen to us. We want to find a resolution to this dispute and get back to normal as soon as possible. But it is now in the hands of our employers.
How will it affect students?
During the Marking and Assessment Boycott:
- Some of your summative assessment results this academic year may be affected. You might not get your marks until after the marking boycott ends
- If you are in the final year of your degress, as an undergraduate or postgraduate student, this may mean your graduation is delayed.
- There might be delays to official decisions about whether you can progress to the next year of your course
Once university bosses make a fair offer to us, we will resume our marking and assessment activities so that students can receive marks and be able to progress and/or graduate.
Why should students support this?
Our working conditions are students’ learning conditions.
We are trying to protect our whole university community – including you – from year after year of harmful reforms that have damaged our morale and made it almost impossible to do our jobs properly.
We care deeply about students. We want you to be able to learn and thrive. This is why we come to work every day! We are really worried that if we do nothing now, university staff will face impossible workloads and a poorer and poorer quality of life. Students’ experience will only get worse, even though you (and your younger siblings) will still have to pay extortionate fees and get into debt. We are worried that women, ethnic minorities, disabled people and working-class people who work here will face even more disadvantages.
The Marking and Assessment Boycott is now the only way we can achieve a fairer and more equal university, for the benefit of students and staff alike. More info here.
How can students help end the boycott?
1. Email our Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Colin Riordan: v-c@cardiff.ac.uk
a. Say you support the current UCU Marking and Assessment Boycott.
b. Ask him to please take steps to address UCU’s demands around casualisation, pay equality, pay, and workload.
c. Request a refund of your student fees.
2. Tell your tutors and lecturers, via email or in person, that you will support them if they take part in the marking and assessment boycott.
3. Sign this pledge.
4. Post on twitter to say you support the Marking and Assessment Boycott, using the hashtag #ucuRISING and tagging @CardiffUCU.
More information can be found here.
Upcoming events
Gweithredu Diwydiannol
Diweddariadau
Cadarnhaodd Undeb y Prifysgolion a’r Colegau (UCU) ym mis Ebrill y byddai Boicot Marcio ac Asesu yn cychwyn, gan effeithio ar 145 o brifysgolion ledled y DU. Mae hyn yn cynnwys Caerdydd, yn dilyn trafodaethau aflwyddiannus gyda'r brifysgol. Dechreuodd y Boicot Marcio ac Asesu ar 20 Ebrill 2023 a bydd yn parhau am gyfnod amhenodol.
Yn ystod y Boicot Marcio ac Asesu, bydd rhai canlyniadau asesu'n cael eu heffeithio, ac efallai na dderbynnir rhai marciau nes i'r boicot ddod i ben. I rai myfyrwyr yn eu blwyddyn olaf, gall hyn olygu oedi cyn graddio.
Am fwy o wybodaeth gan y Brifysgol, gweler eu tudalen we. Am gymorth a chyngor, cysylltwch â gwasanaeth Cyngor Undeb y Myfyrwyr.
Darllenwch y datganiad llawn gan eich Swyddogion Sabothol yma.
Darllenwch y llythyr agored oddi wrth y Swyddogion Sabothol at yr Is-Ganghellor: Cymraeg / Saesneg
Darllenwch ymateb yr Is-Ganghellor i'r llythyr agored: Cymraeg / Saesneg
Gwybodaeth Gyffredinol
Beth yw Gweithredu Diwydiannol UCU?
Mae aelodau Undeb Prifysgolion a Cholegau (UCU) sy'n gweithio ym mhrifysgolion y DU wedi pleidleisio o blaid streicio drwy bleidlais genedlaethol. Mae hyn yn ymwneud â dau fater: un mewn perthynas â phensiynau, a'r ail ynghylch cyflog ac amodau gwaith.
1. Pensiynau:
- Mae’r Cynllun Pensiwn Prifysgolion (USS) cyffredinol wedi’i brisio â diffyg sylweddol – sy’n golygu nad yw’r rhagamcan o arian y gronfa yn y dyfodol yn ddigonol o gymharu â’r arian a addawyd i bensiynwyr. Mae’r fethodoleg brisio a ddefnyddiwyd wedi’i herio’n fawr gan UCU, gan fod y prisiad presennol wedi’i gymryd ar ddechrau’r pandemig COVID-19, pan oedd marchnadoedd wedi dechrau chwalu.
- Mae newidiadau pensiwn i leihau’r bwlch diffyg pensiwn hwn yn cynnig i’r cyflogwyr (Prifysgolion) ac aelodau (Staff y Brifysgol) gyfrannu mwy o arian, gyda llai o arian yn cael ei dalu i aelodau ar ôl ymddeol nag y mae’r cynllun presennol yn ei gynnig.
2. Tâl ac Amodau Gwaith:
- Mae prifysgolion yn dibynnu ar nifer sylweddol o staff ar gontractau ansefydlog neu achlysurol nad ydynt yn darparu amodau gwaith diogel na chynaliadwy.
- Mae UCU wedi cyfrifo bod y codiadau cyflog-is-na-chwyddiant ers 2009 wedi golygu bod cyflog staff y brifysgol wedi cael toriad o 20%, ac maent yn gofyn am godiadau cyflog i adlewyrchu’r Mynegai Prisiau Manwerthu (RPI), yn enwedig o fewn yr argyfwng costau byw presennol sy'n effeithio ar staff a myfyrwyr.
- Mae’r bwlch cyflog rhwng y rhywiau yn broblem ar draws llawer o brifysgolion. Yn 2018, y bwlch cyflog rhwng y rhywiau ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd oedd 21.6%. Mae UCU yn mynnu camau pendant i gau bylchau cyflog rhwng rhywiau, anableddau ac ethnigrwydd.
- Yn ogystal, mae cyfrifoldeb cyson ar staff y Brifysgol i weithio oriau ychwanegol di-dâl. Dywedodd atebwyr o Arolygon Staff blynyddol blaenorol Prifysgol Caerdydd y gallent fodloni gofynion eu swydd heb 'weithio oriau afresymol yn rheolaidd'.’.
Gallai Gweithredu Diwydiannol fod ar wahanol ffurfiau:
- Mae Streic yn golygu peidio â chwblhau unrhyw waith yn y dyddiau a nodir fel diwrnodau streic. Mae hyn yn cynnwys yr holl waith megis addysgu, ymchwilio, marcio, gweinyddu, cyfarfodydd ac ati. Bydd unrhyw staff sy’n cymryd rhan yn Streic yn colli eu cyflog am ddiwrnodau absennol o ganlyniad i gymryd rhan yn y streic.
- Mae Gweithredu sy'n Fyr o Streic (ASOS), yn weithgaredd sy'n effeithio ar fusnes cyffredinol a swyddogaethau'r gweithle (er enghraifft, ddim yn cymryd lle neu'n cefnogi eraill). Gall hyn gynnwys boicotio Asesu ac Adborth, a all olygu na chaiff asesiadau eu marcio ac felly achosi oedi wrth ddychwelyd canlyniadau. Bydd unrhyw staff sy'n cymryd rhan yn ASOS yn colli cyflog sy'n gymesur â swm y gwaith na chaiff ei gwblhau.
Nid yw holl staff ac ôl-raddedigion Prifysgol Caerdydd yn aelodau o UCU ac efallai y bydd rhai aelodau o UCU hefyd yn penderfynu nad ydynt am gymryd rhan mewn Gweithredu Diwydiannol am amrywiaeth o resymau. Fodd bynnag, gall myfyrwyr weld amhariad sylweddol ar eu dysgu yn ystod y cyfnod hwn.
Undeb y Myfyrwyr a Gweithredu Diwydiannol
A yw Undeb y Myfyrwyr yn cefnogi Gweithredu Diwydiannol?
Ym mis Tachwedd 2022, pleidleisiodd myfyrwyr yn y Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol (a fynychwyd gan dros 600 o fyfyrwyr) dros gefnogi streic UCU. Mae llawer o fyfyrwyr ôl-raddedig rydym yn eu cynrychioli hefyd yn aelodau o UCU ac yn cael eu heffeithio gan gontractau ansefydlog. Mae'r Swyddogion Sabothol yn cefnogi'r cam gweithredu arfaethedig yn llwyr.
Fodd bynnag, rydym yn cydnabod bod pryder sylweddol i rai myfyrwyr ynghylch faint o aflonyddwch y gallai streic ei achosi. Er bod gan Undeb y Myfyrwyr safiad yn cefnogi'r streic, mae Whilst the SU has a stance supporting the strike, Cyngor i Fyfyrwyr yn parhau i allu darparu cyngor diduedd am ddim ar addysg a darfwyd arni; ymholiadau ffioedd; ac amgylchiadau esgusodol i bob myfyriwr.
Bydd y Brifysgol yn gwneud arbedion ar gyflogau staff yn ystod unrhyw Weithredu Diwydiannol, yn enwedig os bydd streiciau yn mynd yn eu blaen. Byddai Undeb y Myfyrwyr yn gofyn am dryloywder o ran ble bydd yr arbediad hwn yn cael ei wario a bydd yn lobïo i arian i gael ei ddychwelyd i gefnogi cwynion streic, cronfeydd caledi ac ad-dalu ffioedd am oriau cyswllt a gollwyd.
Effaith ar Fyfyrwyr
Mae'r effaith ar fyfyrwyr yn debygol o amrywio ar gyfer pob unigolyn. Er bod gweithredu diwydiannol wedi'i awgrymu, ni chaiff darlithwyr unigol a staff academaidd sy'n aelodau o UCU ddatgan ymlaen llaw os ydynt yn cymryd rhan yn y gweithredu. Bydd ysgolion yn ymdrechu i roi gwybod i fyfyrwyr am yr aflonyddwch pan fo’n bosib ac yn aml bydd swyddfeydd ysgolion yn gallu darparu gwybodaeth fwy cyfredol.
Mae'n ofynnol i'r brifysgol barhau i gynnig y gwasanaeth y maent wedi ei addo i fyfyrwyr. Os bydd staff ysgol yn cymryd rhan mewn Gweithredu Diwydiannol, bydd mesurau ar waith i leihau'r effaith ar fyfyrwyr, ac i sicrhau nad yw myfyrwyr o dan anfantais o ganlyniad i’r aflonyddwch.
Os ydych chi'n pryderu am yr aflonyddwch, cysylltwch â'ch ysgol neu ein gwasanaeth Cyngor i Fyfyrwyr am wybodaeth a chyngor. Gall Cyngor i Fyfyrwyr hefyd eich helpu gyda chwyn ffurfiol os teimlwch fod hyn yn angenrheidiol.
Cael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf
Mae gen i gwestiynau o hyd, beth ddylwn i ei wneud?
Os oes gennych gwestiynau eraill nad ydynt wedi'u hateb uchod, rhowch wybod i ni. E-bostiwch StudentsUnion@caerdydd.ac.uk neu dewch i weld Cyngor i Fyfyrwyr ar 3ydd llawr Undeb y Myfyrwyr lle gallwn roi cyngor mwy manwl i chi ar achosion unigol.
Ble alla i gael diweddariadau pellach am Weithredu Diwydiannol?
- O UCU – gallwch gael rhagor o wybodaeth ar eu gwefan, yn lleol ac yn genedlaethol.
- O’r Brifysgol – byddant yn darparu gwybodaeth reolaidd drwy e-bost a’r fewnrwyd.
- O Undeb y Myfyrwyr - byddwn yn diweddaru'r dudalen hon ac yn darparu gwybodaeth fwy rheolaidd trwy gyfryngau cymdeithasol
- I gael gwybodaeth benodol am y cyngor sydd ar gael i fyfyrwyr, gweler yma am fanylion cyswllt.
Digwyddiadau sydd i ddod