Last week, the Cardiff UCU Strike Committee established contact with our Vice-Chancellor, Colin Riordan. He was invited to a public meeting to take questions from staff and students.

Cardiff UCU feel he has a responsibility to listen to staff and student concerns and explain his positions to them. Prof Riordan has been conspicuously absent since the strike began.

No sighting per se, but a communiqué has been received

Sadly, on Friday Prof Riordan, declined the invitation to attend the event.  The VC says he’s doing “everything in his power” to resolve the dispute.

Cardiff UCU has now called off the planned Q&A with Colin. The strike committee seriously discussed “empty chairing” the boss and recording the session using “strike capture” technology so he could catch up later.

Now we’ve decided to give him one more chance to speak to us during the second wave of strike action, likely to be announced in the New Year.