Over the past four days students were asked to vote in a referendum about the current UCU Strikes. The question put to students was as follows:

Should City Students’ Union support the ‘strike’ and ‘action-short-of-a- strike’ UCU industrial action on pensions and on pay & working conditions?

A total of 895 students voted, meaning the quota was passed and the motion is deemed to be carried.

The full results have now been counted and verified, below is a full breakdown.

What the Union will do with this ‘YES’ result

The Union will work over the next few days to put the following activity into action:

• Commit Union resource to support staff on the picket line.
• Sabbatical Officers will support staff on picket lines across the action, and will encourage students to do the same.
• Publish a statement on the SU website in support of staff.
• Send out an all student email on our stance, including a joint SU and UCU statement on the matter.

What the Union has been working on regardless of the vote

Alongside the referendum vote your Sabbatical Officers have been working on the following:

• Facilitate discussions concerning the strike between University Management and UCU.
• Lobby the University to ensure there is no bullying or extra pressure on staff who take the decision to strike.
• In the interests of students and value for money, we will lobby University Management to be transparent about all unpaid staff wages as a result of strikes – what the total is and where it will be going.
• Further, we will push for any unpaid staff wages to be allocated into the Student Hardship Fund and other wellbeing provision. 
• Lobby the University Management to extend deadlines and offer grade-boosts for assignments affected.
• Lobby the University to secure the best possible deal for students.
• Lobby UCU to have a reduced or no picket line on one entrance of the University to enable students to access Welfare Services.
• Publish our own FAQ’s on the strike independent of the University’s guidance.
• Support complaints and compensation claims on an individual basis and group basis and continue other services through our Advice Service as usual.
• Lobby the University to compensate all students affected for any disruption they may experience during the industrial action. The University has already stated that there is no intention at the moment to enjoin staff, however if this position changes, the Union will not support enjoining.

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