Oxford Brookes confirms dates for UCU strike action

There will be five strike days in February and March


Vice Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, Professor Alistair Fitt, has emailed students today confirming the dates of striking action that some Brookes lecturers will be participating in.

In the email sent to to students this morning, Prof Fitt said: “Further to my email, UCU has informed the University that it intends to go ahead with strike action on the following five days: 21-22 February, 28 February, 1-2 March. Please note that under the terms of its ballot, UCU may take further strike action until the ballot ceases to be effective (13 July 2022).”

The email also went on to say: “From Monday 7 February, UCU members may also take ‘action short of a strike’; this will consist of members only working their contracted hours and duties and not volunteering to do more, not rescheduling classes and lectures cancelled due to strike action, not covering for absent colleagues, removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lectures or classes that will be or have been cancelled as a result of strike action.”

Reflecting on the decision of some Brookes lecturers striking, Prof Fitt said: “I am hugely disappointed to see strike action go ahead at this time, when students across the country have already experienced a large amount of disruption due to the ongoing pandemic. However, the University respects the decision of those staff who have voted to strike, and we will continue to engage with UCU to understand members’ concerns.”

This news comes after the email sent to students on 19 January that declared that UCU had “recently re-balloted its members who are employed at Oxford Brookes” and that UCU had informed Oxford Brookes “that a majority of UCU members voted in favour of strike action and for ‘action short of a strike’ (this could include, for example, working to contract or not covering for absent colleagues).”

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