There will be fourteen days of strike action from Thursday 20th February to Friday 13th March. UUSU will continue to support Ulster students' during this time.
Update on Strike Information - 19th February 2020
At a meeting of the Student Council on 12th February, members voted to approve a policy from the Student Executive supporting the upcoming industrial action by UCU.
Acknowledging the valued pivotal role of UCU members in Ulster, Council called on UUK to engage with Ulster and UCU to seek a resolution to the dispute over pensions, working conditions, and other issues.
Understanding that some of our Postgraduate & PhD Taught members may exercise their democratic right to engage in the Industrial action, UUSU must continue to support and represent all our members regardless if they choose to show support for the Industrial Action. It is our duty to ensure that your academic interests are always considered. Throughout the strike action, we will monitor the impact on our members and engage with the University to mitigate its impact.
In addition, the Union has been committed to ensuring all our social media is up-to-date to ensure all students have the latest live information.
How UUSU are supporting you:
Dedicated Email Account
We appreciate that there is a wide range of views among the student body regarding strike action. Please keep us informed of your views and experience of the strikes by emailing: strikes@uusu.org
Strike Impact Survey
We will continue to monitor the impact of the strikes. So we can provide the best academic support possible, you can provide feedback about the impact of the strikes within your degree programme through our Impact Survey.
UUSU Advice Bureau
In addition to our dedicated strike email, our Advice Bureau will be providing one-to-one academic support throughout the duration of the strikes. Your campus contacts are:
- Advice & Welfare Coordinator, Coleraine/Magee: Declan Kerr, d.kerr1@ulster.ac.uk
- Advice Bureau Manager, Jordanstown/Belfast: Danielle Black, d.black@ulster.ac.uk
Compensation
At the moment the University have not committed to reimbursing students (see their full response in their FAQs). Other universities in the UK have committed to issuing mitigating payments to students impacted by the strike and we will continue to lobby the University in this regard, to find similar solutions for our members.
If you have had or will have your studies, assessments or other services disrupted please continue to share your experience with us via our Impact Survey
Follow UUSU President, Andrew McAnallen to find out more about the campaign work UUSU are carrying out on facebook and twitter.
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What’s happening?
The University and College Union (UCU) – the trade union that represents lecturers, researchers and other university staff such as librarians and administrators – has voted in favor of strike action.
There will be fourteen days of strike action from Thursday 20 February to Friday 13 March.
What is the background?
The strike relates to ongoing disputes between UCU and universities, represented by Universities UK (UUK), about pensions, pay and working conditions. Discussions are ongoing between UCU, Universities UK and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), with the hope that a resolution can be found.
What is UUSU doing/What is UUSU’s role in this?
Students are always our number one priority, and we are here to represent and support all of you. It is our duty to ensure that your academic interests are always considered, and this includes working to mitigate any impact on your studies. We will work to do this through building relationships with UCU and University staff to ensure you are as well informed and supported during this time.
How did UUSU support students during the last strikes?
All our social media was up-to-date to ensure all students had the latest live information.
All students were asked to provide feedback on the impact of the strikes within their degree programmes through an online survey and a dedicated email address.
We received assurances that assessment adjustments were made for material not covered during action.
We provided on campus, visible support for students to speak to us in relation to their worries and concerns during the strike period.
We will provide this support again for the upcoming strikes and will continue to work on:
- Lobbying UCU for timely communications to students with regards to how classes will be impacted;
- Continuing to work with the University to review the case for compensation to students adversely affected;
- Working to ensure additional academic support and access to alternative staff for students worried about the impact of this longer period of strikes.
What did UUSU achieve for students as a result of the 2017/18 strikes?
As well as ensuring that assessment adjustments were allocated during the 17/18 period of strikes, we also secured a fund of in excess of £250,000 to be placed back into the student body. This resonated into additional wellbeing advisors to support students in need, a better welcoming experience for new and returning students and additional monies placed into a hardship fund to support students in financial crisis.
What happens next?
UUSU and the wider University remains open for business throughout the period of strikes – our offices, cafes, and canteens will be there for you and you will be able to access libraries and labs etc.
We appreciate that there is a wide range of views among the student body regarding strike action. Please keep us informed of your views and experience of the strikes by emailing: strikes@uusu.org
We will also be circulating a survey link during the strikes to gather your feedback.
If you have any University related questions, please contact your Course Director in the first instance.
The University will also be maintaining a page on its website to keep you updated and this will contain an FAQ guide to further support you. https://www.ulster.ac.uk/update