Below is key information about next week’s strike action at this critical point in our dispute with the university senior management over defence of Statute protections.

Strike days:  Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – 11, 12, 13 October.

Picket lines: We will have picket lines every day of the strike, on all University entrances from 7.00am to 12pm.  Report to the main picket line by the Parkinson Steps in the morning from where we will be allocating pickets to the various entrances.  Please email branch administrator Alan Smith ucu@leeds.ac.uk to be added to the list of pickets. (Please let Alan know which days you can do, what time you can get to the picket line if not for the start, and your mobile number in case the picket supervisor needs to contact you during the picket.)

Cancel lectures/work:  Inform your students that you are cancelling lectures/sessions; the briefing, postcard and slide below contain text.

Speaking to students:  Let students know about the strikes and the reasons why this issue concerning academic freedom is important.  Ask students to email the VC asap if they are concerned about the disruption: Vice-Chancellor@leeds.ac.uk. The following items have been written for a student audience:

Send a postcard to the Vice Chancellor

Slide to display in lectures

Briefing for students

Striking Insights! UCU Teach Out on the strike days

Work to contract:  continues – see FAQs in resources below.

We are doing this because …  Why are Leeds University academic and related staff taking industrial action?

See also Examples of dismissal for Some Other Substantial Reason

And Response to the eve-of-strike senior management letter

Members striking may be eligible for support from the UCU Fighting Fund.

Materials and resources:

• Please print and display a strike poster (PDF)
• Graphic of poster to promote the strike on social media
• Strike Frequently Asked Questions
• Working to Contract (action short of a strike) Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
• Please sign and circulate our petition
• Email your MP template
• Email signature:  An example ‘out of office’ message for strike days:  I am on strike on 11, 12, 13 Sept as part of a campaign  by my union, UCU, to defend  Statute protections for staff at the University of Leeds. More information is available here: www.leedsucu.org.uk

Key information updated 10 October

We have excellent news on this front, especially for members who have been worrying about any disproportional impact that strike deduction may have on their financial situation – following our detailed requests for support that would encompass financially vulnerable and precariously employed members in particular, the UCU national officers have agreed:

1. All UCU members who strike as part of this dispute will be able to apply to the UCU Fighting Fund for support connected to the third day of strike action (Friday 13th October) regardless of financial status (the fourth day of action we have taken as a branch). A cap will be applied at £75 for this day, or at a lower level if the member would have usually earned less than £75 that on that day (this is to ensure HMRC compliance).
2. Additional consideration will be given for payments connected to the first two days of the strike action (Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th October) for members on hourly paid contracts or who can otherwise evidence that the strike deductions made would have a disproportionate impact upon them which would leave them financially vulnerable. A cap will be applied at £50 per day, or at a lower level if the member would have usually earned less than £50 per day (this is to ensure HMRC compliance).

Colleagues at head office are making arrangements to ensure systems are in place to handle claims, and we expect more finely tuned details of how consideration would be made for members applying in connection with days 1 & 2 of the strike to come through on Monday.