Exact plans for four weeks of staff strikes at Bristol Uni released

More than 700 members of staff at the University of Bristol will go on strike over the course of five weeks, starting 23 February, in response to an ongoing dispute over pensions.

For students, this means up to 14 days’ teaching time disrupted, as well as papers left unmarked, and more general staff shortages.

Staff are due to strike on the following dates:

Week one – Thursday 22 and Friday 23 February (two days)

Week two – Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February (three days)

Week three – Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March (four days)

Week four – Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 March (five days)

In a general meeting of Bristol’s Universities and Colleges Union, more than 90% of members voted for industrial action over proposed changes to the USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme). These changes, proposed by Universities UK (UUK) could see a huge reduction in staff members’ pensions.

A breakdown in talks last week has led the UCU to state that there is no alternative but ‘unprecedented disruption to teaching’.

"Staff who have delivered the international excellence universities boast of are understandably angry at efforts to slash their pensions," said Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the UCU. "They feel let down by vice-chancellors who seem to care more about defending their own pay and perks than the rights of their staff."

Although strikes on UK campuses have never been seen on this scale before, Hunt claimed that "Universities need to know the full scale of the disruption they will be hit with if they refuse to sort this mess out."