I am sorry to have to inform you that, following a recent national ballot of its members, the University and College Union (UCU) has advised BU that it plans to take industrial action. The ballot results in a mandate for both strike action and action short of strike (ASOS).
Please be assured that your learning and wider experience as a student remains at the centre of all we do at BU, and we will work to minimise any impact to ensure you have continued success in your studies during this period of industrial action.
UCU informed BU that it planned to commence a discontinuous period of strike action on 24, 25 and 30 November 2022.
In addition, a continuous period of action short of strike commenced from Wednesday 23 November 2022. This will consist of:
working to contract
not undertaking any voluntary activities
not covering for absent colleagues
removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lectures or classes that will be or have been cancelled as a result of strike action
and not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action.
We are disappointed that BU is faced with such action and will take all the necessary steps to minimise the effect on you and on our staff who are not taking part in the action. We will continue to operate normally and you are advised to attend activities as usual and to submit coursework in line with current deadlines unless you are informed to the contrary.
This is a national dispute in respect of the 22/23 national pay negotiations, and any resolution needs to be made at a national level. We remain hopeful that the dispute can be resolved without the need for further industrial action, but in the meantime, we are working to minimise the potential impact on our students and our staff.
We understand that this may be a difficult time for you and have provided some more details in these FAQs to answer some questions that you may have and to outline the steps we are taking to minimise the disruption to you and your studies at BU. We will continue to update you as the situation becomes clearer.
If you have specific concerns relating to your studies or research, please contact your personal tutor, programme lead or your supervisor. There is also a range of support and resources on our website. You can also get in touch with AskBU.
Please be assured that we will work to ensure you have continued success in your studies, and into your future learning or work.
