VP Education Kate Roberts tells you everything you need to know about the upcoming strike action being taken by The University and College Union (UCU).
As some of you may be aware, the University and College Union (UCU) has announced that they will be going on strike for a further 14 days, having previously been on strike earlier this academic year towards the end of November. The imminent industrial action relates to the continuing disputes concerning pensions, pay, and working conditions.
What are the dates of the strike?
The dates of the strike at Royal Holloway have been changed by Royal Holloway UCU in relation to the national UCU strike dates. The two day strike week has been moved to now occur after the five day strike week, with the full strike dates detailed below. It is a lecturer’s decision whether they strike or not and on which of the strike days they participate in action, they have no requirement to inform you of when they will be striking prior to the strike date but may do so at their own discretion. This means you may not know the impact of the strike action on your sessions until they occur.
Week 1: Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 February
Week 2: Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 March
Week 3: Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 March
Week 4: Thursday 19 and Friday 20 March.
What else do I need to know?
We will be continuing to update you on the necessary information during the lead up to the strike and during the action itself. We have regular meetings with the University to ensure your educational learning opportunities are not affected by the strike and raise your queries. Our FAQ page has been updated to reflect this new period of strike action.
Check out the FAQs
As per the last period of strike action, the University has an industrial action hardship fund available to allow students to claim expenses relating to the strike, for example, if you are a commuting student and take the train in for the day to find your lecture is not on, you are able to claim for the cost of the train ticket. We will provide more information as and when we can but at present, we suggest you keep receipts for any expenses during the strike period.
What stance are we taking?
Back in November, you as the student body voted in favour of supporting the initial industrial action in its entirety. This vote was held via a preferendum in which four options were presented, the full breakdown of results can be found here.
The result of this preferendum will be carried forward, so we will be supporting the UCU’s strike action and stance in its entirety. Alongside providing our support to the UCU, we will be supporting your education throughout this strike period. As a Students’ Union, it is our responsibility to act in the interests of our membership so we will be working to mitigate any negative effects on your educational experience.
Kate Roberts // Vice President Education