Tuesday 24-01-2023 - 09:00

University and College Union (UCU) staff at Edge Hill University are set to take strike action for 18 days following a national ballot.

 

Members of the UCU have voted in favour of taking national strike action over issues of pay, working conditions and pensions. As a result, strike action will take place at Edge Hill University. 

 

Strikes will take place on the following dates: 

 

 

Strikes are set to take place on: 

• 1 February
• 9 - 10 February
• 14 - 16 February
• 21 - 23 February
• 27 February - 2 March
• 16 March - 17 March
• 20 March - 22 March

 

As a Union, we support the democratic right to strike and fully support the Edge Hill University staff and UCU members taking action. 

 

Simultaneously, we recognise strikes may cause significant disruption to students. The UCU has warned strike action will escalate into 2023 if demands are not met. As such, we urge all parties to negotiate transparently as to minimise the impact on students. While we understand striking staff do not have to inform the university of their intention to strike, we encourage staff to communicate with their students, especially in the wake of rising costs of transport to campus.

 

Our aim is to support students through this turbulent time. We are asking Edge Hill University for a fast response in relation to UCU’s intention to strike:

 

• Wherever possible, we want clear communication for students at course level on exactly how they will be impacted by strikes. 
• We want clear plans and assurances regarding how students will not be academically disadvantaged during strike action.

We encourage you to learn and understand your rights as a student during this turbulent time. You can read more about how the strikes may affect you and what to do if you're affected at the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) website. 

 

If you believe that your studies may be affected by industrial action, you should speak to your personal tutor or course leader leaders to enquire what the department is doing to ensure their studies any impact on study is minimised. 

If you have spoken to your course leader and you still believe that your studies have been affected, you can submit a complaint to the university. Information about the university complaints procedure can be found here.

 

When making a complaint, you will first need to email your personal tutor or course leader outlining how you have been affected, and ask them what the department is doing to minimise disruption. You can title your email subject line with "Stage 1 Complaint". 
 

If you have already spoken to your course leader or personal tutor to try to resolve the matter informally, you are able to go direct to the stage 2 formal complaint by completing the complaint form and drafting a statement.

 

Your statement should clearly outline:
 

• How your studies have been affected
• The steps you took to try to resolve the matter informally (speaking to your course leader)
• What you would like to see as an acceptable outcome to your complaint

 

The EHSU Advice Team can provide guidance on the University complaints procedure. If you have already spoken to your personal tutor or course leader and would like some extra guidance, please book an appointment with one of our advisors. Our advisors are independent from the university and have your best interests at the core of their service. 

 

Edge Hill Students' Union and its services will remain operational during the strikes.

 

The UCU Edge Hill University branch previously released an open letter to Edge Hill students, regarding the industrial action taking place in November. Read their full statement here.