SUSU President Emily Harrison has recently shared an update on the current UCU strikes, being that they have received a response letter from influential figures for universities.
Previously SUSU, as well as a number of student unions across the country, signed a joint letter about the strike action. The list of participating student unions can be found here, which includes the National Union of Students.
The original letter was sent to the university minister and numerous ‘key stakeholders’, including University of Southampton Vice Chancellor Mark E Smith.
Harrison shared the news via Facebook, including pictures of the response. The letter concludes saying that those under scrutiny are working ‘to achieve joint and fair solutions as soon as possible.’
The original letter, composed by Jake Verity of Sheffield’s Student Union, was written with ‘urgency.’ It also plainly stated the disruption that the strike action has had on those involved:
The forthcoming wave of strikes will have meant that over the past two years, we will have seen up to 36 days of strike action taken over these ongoing disputes; which has resulted in a
significant amount of missed teaching time, and discontent across our campuses for many of our students. With no immediate resolution to the dispute, it is likely that we could be set for further disruption across the country, following this round of forthcoming industrial action. Our students are wanting to know if, and when, a resolution to the ongoing dispute will come.
The current strike action is due to end shortly, but with the response letter stating that ‘meeting the union’s demands would be unaffordable for most of the scheme’s 341 employers,’ it is uncertain whether or not there will be any more industrial action taken in the future.
