Strike for USS - strikes are on, lobby of UCU/UUK talks & interim advice on the HR web form
4 March 2018
We're delighted to welcome nearly 300 new members in the last week or so.
Monday 5 March sees the resumption of our strike action with strikes continuing through Thursday 8 March inclusive (and, if necessary, for the following week).
Please join our picketing from 07:30 at the Quad entrance on Gower Street. The forecast is for warmer weather this week but it will be very cold in the mornings so please wrap-up warm.
Also on Monday there will be a lobby of the UCU / UUK talks facilitated by ACAS from 8.30am, at RIBA HQ, 66 Portland Place. The aim of the lobby is to support our negotiators and remind all parties that there is no pension deficit! We do need to prioritise picketing UCL so we will arrange for a delegation from the better attended picket lines on the day.
A reminder that our interim advice is that you do not use the HR web form for recording strike action. We have a number of concerns about the form including data protection and the unclear content and structure. However, if you have completed the form already please await further updates. If you are asked by your line manager if you have taken part in industrial action you should answer truthfully, see suggested response in Appendix 1 below.
One error repeated several times by managers is the suggestion that UCU members should complete this form. Note that all UCL employees are entitled to strike on strike days called by UCU. It is unlawful to discriminate against employees by membership of trade union, and the employer is also not entitled to ask whether or not you are a member of a particular trade union. Suggested response below.
Please keep your non-union colleagues updated, encourage them to join in the action and of course to join UCU.
For live updates during the strike follow us on twitter @UCL_UCU and Facebook. You can also see details of the teach-outs that are happening during the strike on our Facebook page.
Appendix 1 - responding to enquiries about strike action
My trade union has advised me not to use the HR web form until further notice. This is to confirm that I have taken strike action on the following days: [list dates].