Email to students 1 March 2023

Important update on industrial action

Dear students

I’d like to share an update on how the national negotiations have been progressing during the current period of ‘pause’ in industrial action. 

While challenges remain, significant progress has been made. We have a window of opportunity to push on and achieve a settlement, and I have been strongly encouraging all parties to work together to grasp it.

However, whilst industrial action has been ‘paused’ in the last fortnight, I am very sorry to say that we have received notification from UCU of another strike day. 

This notification means that industrial action days will now be:

• w/c 13 March (Week 10): Wednesday 15*, Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
• w/c 20 March (out of term time for some programmes): Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March.

*additional day confirmed by the University and College Union (UCU).

We won’t know which staff may be taking part, so please keep following our advice and guidance and continue to attend your timetabled sessions as usual.

National negotiations

This call for another day of strikes is deeply frustrating given there have been some very constructive talks in the national negotiations on both pay and pensions. 

Whilst we understand there is an ‘impasse’ in the discussions on pay, we have been advised to implement a salary increase for staff across the sector. We will be doing so, as advised, in March to provide a much-needed pay boost for staff in the face of cost of living pressures. Talks will continue about non-pay issues, including contract types, workload and pay gaps. 

There has also been progress on the pensions dispute, with both parties making a very positive joint statement about the prospects of future contributions and benefits.

What happens now

Given this progress and levels of constructive dialogue, it is really disappointing that UCU has called for more action. I also do not want to lose the opportunity to tackle the deeper issues which are driving these disputes. We need to build on the momentum established in recent weeks, and I will certainly continue to do all that I can to help achieve a stable settlement. 

Yet again, I'd like to reassure you that we will do all we can to support you through this period of disruption. Keep checking the industrial action support pages for our advice and guidance. 

Yours,

Charlie

Vice-Chancellor and President