Friday 16-03-2018 - 14:02

Today is the last day of UCU strike action, and after another cold morning’s picketing, Durham UCU have met in the SU building for lunch after an invite from SU President Megan Croll. Durham UCU have expressed their thanks for the support of students and the SU in the below statement, which Megan read out at Assembly on Tuesday 13 March.

First of all a huge thanks for your massive support in our strike in defence of our pensions! Without you we couldn’t have done it!

You have been absolutely magnificent in joining our pickets, in designing fabulous and creative posters and placards, in patiently accepting our flyers (in some cases many times over!), in expressing your solidarity in numerous short conversations in passing by the picket lines and in venting your frustration with the situation at the relevant university authorities rather than at your lecturers. We would encourage you to continue to do so and to demand a partial refund of your fees by writing to the VC and the PVC for Education, while also expressing support for our action.

We also want to thank the DSU and its president for the support throughout, most importantly by keeping channels of communication open with us and students informed about what is going on. We also greatly appreciate the Student Staff Solidarity group who have backed us all the way.

At the time of writing we are going into the fourth week of strike and we continue to count on your patience and support. We all want to return to teaching asap but we need the necessary concessions from UUK to resume our normal professional lives. We understand that for many of you life goes on as usual, only that some of your lecturers simply aren’t available on strike days. We would like to stress that we have no qualms with students attending the teaching of colleagues who are not yet in UCU and/or have decided not to join the strike so far. Our intention is not to hinder people from crossing picket lines at departments and the library either physically or by anybody naming and shaming them. We believe in the power of argument and conviction and by setting an example, and it will stay that way.  Over a hundred DUCU pickets have been out in all weathers and at many different locations, in our memory this is unprecedented. The solidarity we have experienced has been magnificent

We feel that the employers are divided, and that our cause is just. Negotiations between UCU and UUK are underway at the moment at ACAS – we hope they are successful soon and we can all return to teaching Durham's students.

Kay Schiller – DUCU President

Marek Szablewski – DUCU Vice-President

Francis Pritchard – DUCU Hon. Secretary