Upcoming UCU Strike Action

The University and College Union (UCU) has announced ten days of strike action, which will be taking place from 14–22 February and 28 February – 2 March (inclusive).

We held a referendum last term where students voted in favour of supporting UCU’s industrial action, so yesterday Henn, your President, and I met with two UCU representatives and some students to discuss how we could help promote their activities. Keep an eye on our events page and our website to hear about Teach-Outs (where academics deliver lectures in alternative spaces on strike days) and potentially see some guest blogs!

If you’re not sure why staff are striking and would like to find out more, I’d recommend checking out a series of blogs I released on this topic last term:

• Who are the UCU?
• What's it got to do with USS?
• UCU Four Fights Ballot
• What shall we do about UCU?

In short, UCU members are striking for two reasons: pension cuts and their ‘Four Fights’ which covers pay, gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps, workload, and casualisation. Students are not technically allowed to be on the same picket line as staff, but you are welcome to say ‘hello’ to picketing UCU members at the main campus gates, 8am-10am on the strike days.

The students we met with yesterday also wanted us to let you know that the NUS (National Union of Students) Student Strike for Education is taking place in central London on Wednesday 2 March.

What’s the impact on me and my education?

I want to reassure you that you will not be assessed on content that is not taught due to strikes. Moreover, Henn and I will be attending regular meetings with the University over the next few weeks about how to mitigate the effect of strikes on your education.

If you’d like to get in touch to discuss strikes or would like help in distributing information or promoting events related to industrial action, please feel free to get in touch with me at vpeducation@su.rhul.ac.uk.