Cardiff University Students’ Union (CUSU) have asked lecturers to rethink fourteen days of planned strike action.
Their comments go against the National Union of Students (NUS) which is calling for solidarity between lecturers and students during the strikes.
In a joint statement with the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), the NUS nationally asked students to take part in local demonstrations and encouraged meaningful negotiations with the universities to continue.
But Cardiff University SU President, Hollie Cooke said that striking lecturers are “playing with some students’ lives.”
The strikes are over a pension dispute which the UCU claim will leave the average lecturer £10,000 worse off in retirement.
President Hollie Cooke said: “The strikes are a political lever anyway. It’s when it is done in a way that makes students suffer intentionally when it feels uncomfortable to me.
“What I want is for people to really understand what is on the table, and the fact that they are really playing with some students lives.”
She said the CUSU has to safeguard the students’ interests and the strikes harm their university experience.
But spokesman for the Universities and Colleges Union and Cardiff University lecturer, Andy Williams said lecturers have received support from students.
Mr Williams said: “It’s discouraging that Cardiff Students’ Union hasn’t seen fit to give us their support in this matter. But of course this is a democratic body and they make their own decisions, and it doesn’t really mean Cardiff students aren’t on our side either.”
“The general trend across the country has been for students and lecturers to stand in solidarity.”
The UCU and the NUS have encouraged students to write to the head of their institutions about the impact on their learning.
The strikers have said they wont back down unless their employers, Universities UK rethink their changes to their pension scheme.
But they say they’re open the meaningful negotiations on the issue, which is something that CUSU and the NUS both encourage.
The planned strike is set to start on 22nd February, and Cardiff University have said they have plans in place to reduce disruption.
