The following statement has been written to make you aware of upcoming industrial action being taken by some of your lecturers, researchers, and other University staff.
Following the strike action last year (24, 25 and 30 of November 2023), a further 18 days of action during February and March 2023 have been confirmed, starting on Wednesday 1 February. A full list of dates can be found at the bottom of the article.
Your Students’ Union Officers stand in solidarity with Coventry University UCU members and staff who choose to take this action. We also join other Students’ Unions and the National Union of Students in supporting the national action being taken by UCU and encourage a quick resolution.
The Universities and College Union (UCU) who represent staff across 150 Universities voted in favour of taking industrial action, such as strikes, over disputes about pay and working conditions. The union's demands include a meaningful pay rise to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and action to end the use of insecure contracts. Employers imposed a pay rise worth just 3% this year following over a decade of below inflation pay awards. A third of academic staff are on some form of temporary contract.
During this period, you may see staff members not working and protesting instead. This will likely involve some lectures and seminars being cancelled as staff involved stand on picket lines. A picket line is a boundary established by workers on strike around the entrances to their place of work with stalls and banners/signs.
Your Students’ Union recognises the significant impact strike action has on many students who have already suffered massive disruption to their education during the pandemic and previous strikes. We urge UCU and University representatives to resolve these disputes as soon as possible to minimise the impact it has on our students. We also call on the Government to increase funding for Higher Education.
We believe that staff working conditions are the learning conditions of our students. As a result, by having motivated and well-paid staff, the university experience and quality of education that students receive will be more rewarding and inclusive. We also acknowledge that many students, particularly Postgraduate Researchers, want to pursue careers in academia and therefore it is important that universities are supportive and well-paid places to work.
We are not officially asking students not to cross the picket lines and go onto campus during this period of strike action. We recognise that this is a personal choice made by each of our students. Facilities on campus, such as the library, will remain open for students to access. However, we do ask that all students treat these staff with dignity and respect the decisions and beliefs of others during any strike period. There will also be information on protests and student rights posted shortly.
Information for Coventry campus students
On Wednesday 1 February, staff who are striking will meet outside the William Morris building and Richard Crossman building at 10am. Then, they will join other unions striking for a joint industrial action day in Broadgate Square (by the Lady Godiva statue.)
Information for Scarborough campus students
Our understanding is that there are no strike action plans in Scarborough.
Information for London campus students
Our understanding is that there are no strike action plans in London.
Our Advice team have written an article ‘Strike Action – What it means for students’ explaining how the UCU strikes may affect you.
If you have any other questions regarding this statement or how Your Students’ Union can support you during this strike action, please email studentsunion.su@coventry.ac.uk.
Your SU Officer Team 2022-23
Full list of strike dates.
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Week 3 - Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February
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Week 4 - Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February
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Week 5 - Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March
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[No action week commencing 6 March]
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Week 6 - Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March