Coventry University staff have announced they will strike

Coventry University staff affiliated with the union UCU have announced they will strike for five days in a press release that was released today. The uni did not strike in previous years and so this is a first for the university.

Out of 4,471 staff members, 243 voted in favour of strike action. The strikes are set to begin across the UK on the 21st of November and end on the 4th of December.

Coventry University told The Tab Coventry: "We are disappointed that Coventry UCU have announced strike action to coincide with some students' graduation ceremonies and will work collaboratively as a university to minimise disruption to our students and the staff who aren't taking part. We will continue to engage in an open, honest and transparent dialogue with Coventry UCU. We note the concerns of Coventry UCU and understand, given the commitment of our staff, that members who have voted in favour of strike action will not have taken this decision lightly".

Coventry University has opted for five strike days instead of eight like other unis. This has been confirmed to be because the strikes at Coventry are not part of the national strike mandate from UCU.

The University and College Union (UCU) said the university's refusal to negotiate properly on its approach to appraisals had left members with no choice but to take strike action.