Friday 06-12-2019 - 13:20

The first part of the strike action is now over, and classes should now be running as usual. Over the last couple of weeks, we have worked to both minimise the impact of strike action on students, as well as supporting our striking staff. In line with the SU’s position, we firmly believe that staff’s working conditions are our learning conditions, and we will continue with this belief at the heart of how we approach the strike.

How have we been supporting students?

We have provided information in a range of formats – from videos to FAQs – to ensure that students can navigate the uncertainties surrounding the strike. We have also worked to minimise the impact on students, including:

•    gaining commitment from the University that no missed material will be examinable
•    gaining commitment from the University that no international students’ visas would be at risk due to not attending classes in support of the strike
•    providing guidance to individual students wanting to make claims of compensation
•    working with the University to confirm a list of mitigating factors that will be taken into consideration
•    gaining confirmation that professional support services would run as usual 

What is action short of a strike?

We now enter a period of action short of a strike, which will continue for six months. This will involve academic staff working to contract only, and refusing to carry out duties outside of this. This could include activities that fall outside of their contracted working hours (i.e. holding evening office hours, marking assessments etc.). The impact on students is likely to vary from department to department, and we are currently working with UCU to understand the impact for students and minimise it.

To help students during action short of a strike, we will be:
•    creating another video with Sarah Elton (President of Durham UCU) about action short of a strike
•    getting confirmation from the University about how action short of a strike will be taken into consideration for assessments
•    getting confirmation from UCU on whether they will balloting members for further strike action later in the academic year

You can view our full FAQs on the UCU strike action here. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at su.president@durham.ac.uk.