Update on local UCU ballot in relation to strike action
The University of Exeter branch of the University and College Union (UCU) recently conducted a ballot asking members whether they would be willing to take local strike action in response to a formal consultation on potential staffing changes in some areas of our academic faculties.
The ballot closed on Wednesday 9 September, and the result shows that the majority of members who voted supported taking strike action and action short of a strike.
The Exeter UCU will provide the University with 10 days' notice before any strike action begins. We will keep colleagues and students updated and share further information as soon as it becomes available.
We appreciate this may be an unsettling time and are continuing to work closely with representatives from across the University, and the Students’ Guild and the Student’s Union, to identify how we can manage the impact of any potential strike action.
If you feel you need some additional support during this time, please do not hesitate to speak to your line manager, who will be there to listen and help. You can also visit our colleague wellbeing webpages to access the range of support available, including our Employee Assistance Programme, Spectrum Life, which provides 24/7 confidential, in-the-moment support, advice, and counselling. You can call via Freephone UK on 0808 196 2016 or International on 00353 1 518 0277.
Like many universities across the UK, we are facing financial pressures due to long-term reductions in government funding, the falling real-terms value of tuition fees, and reduced international demand for UK degrees.
Over the past three years, we have taken significant action to control costs and maintain the University’s financial strength. While these measures have helped us continue to invest in delivering an excellent student experience and support new opportunities, the pressures facing both the sector and the University are set to continue.
In June, after carefully reviewing the size and shape of parts of the University, we opened a formal consultation on proposed changes to staffing across some areas of our academic faculties to better align activities with student demand, research excellence, income growth and long-term financial sustainability.
The consultation concluded in early September. Following feedback from affected staff and Trade Unions, together with voluntary arrangements agreed by some staff, the University achieved nearly all of the required savings, and on this basis, there were no compulsory redundancies in any area where changes were proposed.
No, the University will remain open during any strike days and will have services and support available. We do not anticipate widespread disruption to take place across the University.
We have more than 7,000 colleagues working here. UCU have notified us that they have 1,270 members at the University which equates to around 18% of University staff. Not all members may choose to take part in any industrial action. For data protection reasons, we do not hold a log of union members but we do have an indication of which faculties and professional services members are grouped in.
We have a list of Industrial Action Coordinators for each faculty/division online. If you are planning to take part in strike action and/or action short of a strike, please could you email the named Industrial Action Coordinator at the earliest opportunity before the first day of any period of strikes. This will enable us to ensure that appropriate operational arrangements are in place and help us keep students informed of any changes to their lectures, tutorials and/or seminars.
When you return to work after taking strike action, please report your absence online via Trent Self Service by clicking on the absence tab, then the ‘+ add other absence’ button, and entering the dates you were on strike. You should do this no later than 10am on the first day of your return to work. A more detailed explanation of how to do this will be shared on these webpages.
Please note that there are different arrangements for Postgraduate Teaching Associates to report their absence - see the FAQ below.
Please also find below the priorities on your return to work, which differ depending on your role.
For colleagues who teach (including Postgraduate Teaching Associates), and within two weeks of your return to work, the priority should be to:
Replace teaching and learning opportunities that did not take place because of strike action, including teaching and/or PhD supervision. Students should be kept informed about how missed learning will be replaced and where they can access any related materials, resources and support.
Prepare, write and submit examination papers for the January examination period, as well as other upcoming exams and assessments (e.g. in-class assessments or Mid-Term Examinations organised by the Exams Team).
Complete marking to meet timely feedback deadlines. Where strike dates make this impossible, please follow the usual process of keeping your local Hub/Education Support Team informed of when the marking will be completed.
For Professional Services colleagues, you should consult with your line manager about the most urgent work and priorities to complete on your return.
We recognise that colleagues may need to review and rearrange other planned work in order to prioritise these activities. If you have concerns about being able to do so, please speak to your line manager, your Director of Education and Student Experience, Head of Department, or the relevant service lead, as appropriate.
Colleagues employed as Postgraduate Teaching Associates who take strike action should report this by emailing humanresources@exeter.ac.uk. Please provide the following information in your email:
- Your employee number.
- The day(s) you were on strike.
- The total number of hours that you were scheduled to work on the day(s) you were on strike. You should not record these hours in Trent.
Human Resources (HR) will enter these hours in iTrent on your behalf to generate your pay. A corresponding deduction will be made to recognise that you were on strike. As outlined above, you should focus on the replacement of any lost learning and teaching following your return from strike action.
On any strike days staff who are on strike may also choose to participate in peaceful picketing. The pickets tend to be organised at the main entrances to the University campuses; however, all colleagues, students and visitors to the University campuses will be able to come onto campus as normal, and there are walking routes that avoid the picket lines.
Our policy on the withholding of pay during industrial action is set out online. If you intend to take part in strike action and/or action short of a strike, please do take the time to read this and, if you have any questions, please email: humanresources@exeter.ac.uk
We are working to carefully manage the potential impact of any planned industrial action on our University community, and to ensure any measures we put in place are the right ones for you and our students.
We have emailed our students to inform them of the ballot result and to let them know how to access further information, including student FAQs – these will be added to as the situation progresses. We will also make them aware of any planned strike action and mitigating measures, as soon as we are able. This will include advice for them to continue to attend their timetabled sessions and to submit their assignments by their due dates.
Any student who wishes to discuss their own personal situation should contact industrialaction@exeter.ac.uk as we have academic and professional services colleagues able to look at their individual circumstances.
Students have been advised to submit assignments by their due dates, including attending in-person assessments (e.g. presentations) and any exams, unless they are contacted by their department /Info Point.
Where we receive notification ahead of time that a session will not go ahead, we will remove it from a student's timetable. They should therefore check their timetables regularly during this period. Information on how to access a timetable is available online.