Email to staff 25 January 2023

Dear colleagues and postgraduate researchers,

I am updating you following my email from last week, about industrial action taking place in universities across the UK this term.

The national University and College Union (UCU) has now announced the other dates of strike action, totalling eighteen days across February and March. You can refer back to these dates on our dedicated web pages.

• w/c 30 January (Term Week 4): Wednesday 1 February
• w/c 6 February (Term Week 5): Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February
• w/c 13 February (Term Week 6): Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15, and Thursday 16 February
• w/c 20 February (Term Week 7): Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February
• w/c 27 February (Term Week 8): Monday 27, Tuesday 28 February, Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March
• w/c 13 March (Term Week 10): Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
• w/c 20 March (Out of term for some programmes): Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March.

As you can see, this is a sustained level of disruption. I deeply regret any disruption students may face and repeat my message that joint action between employers and unions to tackle the underlying drivers of these disputes is needed.

Our contingency group is meeting regularly, as well as with our student unions, to try and minimise the impact on our students' studies.

I know strike action in other sectors, including healthcare, transport and education, also impacts our work. Please continue to speak with your line-manager/supervisor to discuss any difficulties. We have also created further guidance for employees - for example, advice on childcare arrangements.

Yours,
Charlie

Charlie Jeffery
Vice-Chancellor