The UCU has released all 18 strike dates for Exeter University

Hold onto your horses lads, we’re going in


The UCU announced today the dates for all 18 strike days. Earlier this month, the UCU announced that 150 universities across the UK were set to strike for 18 days this term.

Exeter University staff are among the 70,000 across the country striking over better pay, pensions, and working conditions amongst other things.

The dates for the strikes have been confirmed as:

•Week 1 – Wednesday 1 February

• Week 2 – Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February

• Week 3 – Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February

•Week 4 – Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February

• Week 5 – Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March

• Week 6 – Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March

• Week 7 – Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March

This totals just nine days of teaching in February for students this year.

The UCU confirmed that if all 18 days of strike action take place, it will be the biggest series of strikes to ever hit UK university campuses.

Jo Grady, General Secretary for the UCU said:

“The university sector in the UK has over £40bn sitting in reserves, but instead of using that vast wealth to deliver a cost-of-living pay rise and reverse devastating pension cuts, university vice-chancellors would rather force staff to take strike action and see campuses shut down.

“There is a clear route out of these disputes, but at present vice-chancellors lack the political will to take it. They are failing staff who want to get back to work, and students who want to get on with their studies.

“Students understand that staff working conditions are their learning conditions and we are proud to have their support in these disputes. A system that relies on low pay and the rampant use of insecure contracts is a system which fails everyone.

“A resolution can be reached, but that is in the gift of university vice-chancellors who need to urgently reassess their priorities and deliver a deal that benefits staff and students. From February, our union will begin reballoting its members to allow action to continue through the rest of the academic year, should they continue to drag their feet.”

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