Close
USS and Four Fights
Useful information for students
Do staff still get paid whilst they are on strike?
What is a strike?
What is a picket line?
Will my classes be cancelled and rescheduled?
If any of my classes are cancelled, will I receive a refund of my fees?
When are the strike days?
How can the strike be called off?
How can I support the strike?
Where can I find out more?
Do staff still get paid whilst they are on strike?
No. Staff do not get paid for the days that they take strike action. They lose their pay each day that they are on strike. Whilst we cannot afford to lose pay, we cannot afford not to strike as the situation will continue to get worse.
What is a strike?
It is a legal form of protest by employees that aims to cause disruption to normal work activities, to demonstrate our anger at our working conditions. Staff are typically members of the union, but non-members and students may choose to join the strike or picket line in support.
What is a picket line?
This is where workers on strike gather together usually at an entrance to show that they are on strike and to explain to people why they are on strike. It a legal, lawful protest and picketers will try to persuade you not to cross the picket line and to support the strike.
Will my classes be cancelled and rescheduled?
If your lecturer chooses to take strike action they will not teach your class. And they will not rearrange it to another day, because they are not getting paid on the day the class is supposed to take place. You may not get any advance notice that this is going to happen because staff taking strike action do not need to notify anyone prior to the strike days.
If any of my classes are cancelled, will I receive a refund of my fees?
You should ask Michael Spence, the President and Provost of UCL.
Email: michael.spence@ucl.ac.uk
When are the strike days?
The planned dates of strike action are:
- Week 1 - Wednesday 1 February
- Week 2 - Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February
- Week 3 - Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February
- [action paused - Week 4 - Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February]
- [action paused - Week 5 - Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March]
- [No action week commencing Monday 6 March]
- Week 6 - Wednesday 15th, Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
- Week 7 - Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March
How can the strike be called off?
There are 153 universities across the UK taking industrial action in one of the two current disputes which are about pay and conditions, and about cuts to our pensions. Unless our demands are met, or a compromise is reached, the industrial action will continue.
How can I support the strike?
In a variety of ways, such as:
1) Do not cross the picket line
2) Join us on the picket line and on our protest marches
3) Support us on social media: @ucl_ucu, #ucuRising
Where can I find out more?
See the FAQ on the national UCU website here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/12469/FAQs
