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

Why am I paying £9000 for this again?


Staff at Leeds Uni will be striking over a row in pensions for a total of 14 days – the largest scale industrial action seen to date. 61 universities across the UK will be participating and it will begin with a five-day walkout either side of the weekend. From Monday March 5th to the 8th there will be another four days and another five days the following week – March 12th to the 16th.

Specific strike dates for Leeds Uni are as follows: Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd Feb; Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th Feb; Monday 5th, Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th, Thursday 8th and Friday 9th March; Monday 12th until Friday 16th.

It’s apparently because of proposed changes to the pension scheme, the result of which a typical lecturer would be almost £10,000 a year worse off. 87% of UCU members backed strikes on a 55% turnout.

The uni have said they were unable to comment on how the walkout will affect students, and a spokesman for the uni said: “While we have yet to receive formal notification of it, we are disappointed that UCU is planning this industrial action.

“Our priority is to minimise any disruption to students and to ensure staff are informed of the proposed pension reforms, so that they can contribute to a forthcoming consultation if they so choose.

“The 2017 valuation showed a deficit of £7.5 billion on the pension scheme nationally, and clearly changes are necessary if the sector is to have a scheme which is sustainable and stable as well as valued and fair.”