SCAN can report that the Lancaster branch of the University and College Union, which represents academic staff at Lancaster University, intend to take strike action on Thursday, 27 November and Friday, 28 November.
In response to Lancaster University’s plan to cut more than 400 jobs at the end of this academic year, branch members overwhelmingly backed industrial action in a ballot last month. With 58% of members voting, 95% of them backed action short of strike (ASOS), and 88% further supported full strike action.
The Lancaster UCU earlier announced their intention to begin ongoing ASOS from Monday, 10 November. Participating staff will work only to the letter of their contracts, meaning no overtime and a likely delay for students in receiving marking.
Full strike action, however, means that participating union members will not work on Thursday, 27 or Friday, 28 November (Week 8 of the academic calendar). Many students can expect cancelled lectures, seminars, labs, and workshops on those days, and a picket lines are planned for the road entrances by the Sports Centre and South West Campus.
In a press release announcing the strikes, the Lancaster UCU quoted the UCU’s General Secretary, Dr Jo Grady, as saying,
‘Strike action is a last report [sic] for our members, but staff have been left no choice to protect Lancaster University from the devastating cuts management is attempting to inflict. Management is relying on overly pessimistic figures and must now fully open the books and work with us to protect jobs and student provision here in Lancaster, rather than spending a fortune on vanity campuses on the other side of the world. If the university does not listen, it will face disruption on campus this month and the potential of more action in the new year.’
Recent guidance from the Office for Students (OfS), the regulatory body for the higher education sector, says that universities owe students financial compensation for any disruption to education caused by strikes. It isn’t clear if that would take the form of cash payments or of a partial student loan refund. Last summer, Newcastle University offered home students £100 cash and international students £200 cash for each module disrupted by strikes.
In response to the UCU’s announcement, Lancaster University issued the following statement:
In the light of financial pressures impacting the whole UK university sector, including a decline in international student numbers, Lancaster University is having to make very difficult but necessary decisions. As part of this process the University is seeking cost savings of £30M from our payroll budget across both academic and professional services. This means a proposed full-time equivalent (FTE) staff reduction of approximately 417 FTE staff out of a population of 3,344 FTE staff. No compulsory redundancies have been announced and at this stage we are still making every effort to try to find these savings through voluntary means, a process which is currently underway in consultation with our trade unions.
We recognise that this period of change is a deeply unsettling time for our staff, students, and the communities we serve, and we do not enter into this process lightly. However, achieving financial sustainability is essential to securing the University’s future. Lancaster University will remain open throughout the period of industrial action, and staff across the University are taking steps to make sure there is as little disruption for students as possible. Throughout this period, our commitment remains clear: to support our staff and students, to protect the quality of our teaching and research, and to continue playing a vital role in the life and prosperity of our region.
LUSU’s Education Officer, Liz Gillett, also provided comment to SCAN:
LUSU prioritises its students academic success during their time at Lancaster University. Many students recognise that there is an inherent tension between the short-term effect of ASOS and potential strikes, and the long-term impacts of staff reductions on their academic success.
Union Assembly, at its last meeting, gave the Officer team a mandate to continue to work dynamically, unconstrained by a strict policy stance. We urge that the conflict be resolved swiftly in the best interest of everyone.
LUSU is informing and guiding students on what to do if they are affected. We recommend that students speak to their departments, academic reps and keep a record of dates/times and modules affected. LUSU Advice here to advise students who wish to put in complaints against the University.
They advised that students can find more information about SU support during the industrial action in an article on the LUSU website.
