Want to know more about the strikes?
The national University and College Union (UCU) has announced that industrial action will take place in universities across the UK in the form of three days of action. Alongside this, staff will be taking ‘action short of strike’. This webpage will help to keep you up to date on what’s happening, and how it may affect you. We’ll also answer some of the main questions that students have about industrial action.
When is industrial action taking place?
Strike action will take place on:
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Thursday 24th November 2022 (1 day)
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Friday 25th November 2022 (1 day)
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Wednesday 30th November 2022 (1 day)
This period of industrial action will be followed by action short of strike.
The action short of strike is intended to be continuous, and will start on 23rd November 2022, and will finish no later than 20th April 2023.
What’s the dispute about?
This round of action is related to a dispute related to pay and conditions
You can read more about what UCU have to say on the UCU's website.
What is 'action short of strike'?
Action short of strike means activity that falls short of withdrawal of labour. This disrupts normal flow of business for example, staff may work strictly to contract, perhaps refusing to work overtime or to take on additional duties
How will industrial action impact me?
At this stage it’s hard to predict how industrial action will impact individual students, for this may differ across subjects and years of study. During strike action, some University staff will not be available for teaching, seminars, labs and other academic work, such as office hours and marking. Some staff may choose to inform you that they intend to strike, but they are not required to. UCU also represents academic related and professional services staff including librarians, computer staff and researchers. Not all staff at the University are members of the Union and not all staff will choose to strike. The University should communicate with you about any potential disruption, so unless you’re informed otherwise, attend University as you would normally.
How can I get involved and support the strike?
Find out more about these issues by talking to your tutors, lecturers, and supervisors about why they are considering or taking strike action.
You can also talk to your Course Reps who can raise your views and concerns to the University.
Does UCSU have a policy on the strikes?
Our position will be decided by students directly; however, we haven't had member mandate as yet for our position to be decided. As we find out more we will update you as soon as we can.
What is UCSU doing to support students?
UCSU is student-led, democratically run, and will ensure that students’ voices are at the forefront of our approach during the planned action. The Full Time Officers, James, Annabelle and Eleanor, will be in frequent communication with relevant managers within the University to represent the views and opinions of our members.
At present the Full Time Officers’ priorities are to ensure that both University and UCU officials are:
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Protecting students’ rights and experiences;
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Communicating information surrounding the debate clearly to students;
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Considering where and how students might be affected;
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Trying to find ways to mitigate the impact on students.
UCSU Support & Advice service will also be on hand throughout the period of industrial action to answer any questions that you may have about academic issues or complaints arising from the industrial action. All students can access this free and independent service here.
Some University of Cumbria staff may not be working on those days and that some timetabled classes and other planned sessions may be affected. In addition to this strike action, the UCU has announced what is called ‘action short of a strike’ (ASOS), which will run continuously from Wednesday 23 November until no later than 20 April 2023.
Although the industrial action could potentially cause some disruption the university has assured UCSU they will make every effort to limit and manage any impact on students and they have created a frequently asked questions page, which includes lots of information and guidance. An update was also sent to all students on Monday 21 November so please check your student email for more details.
