Strike action sees Leeds Uni students miss more teaching

Another week of protests means students will miss five days of teaching next week


The University of Leeds’ UCU branch announced earlier on this month further strike action will be taken in the final week of teaching before the Easter break.

Students at the university have missed a significant amount of teaching this academic year due to strike action in December, and most recently 10 days across February and March.

Staff are striking over disputes surrounding pay and pension cuts.

After the UCU said “Over 50,000 staff are taking five further days of strike action over two weeks in both the USS pension dispute and the pay and working conditions dispute.

“Well over a million students will be impacted. As part of the ongoing dispute, all branches will also be reballoted soon in preparation for potential industrial action next term.”

39 unis will take industrial action from Monday 21st March to Friday 25th March, whilst 29 universities will strike the following week, from Monday 28th March to Friday 1st April.

There have been mixed messages of support for the strikes by students, with some supportive of them, whilst many others are left feeling frustrated. The strikes will disrupt lectures and seminars at an important time for students.

Leeds University Union has condemned the proposed strike action suggesting: “The challenge we face as student leaders is that we don’t believe this current strike action is in the best interest of students, and our focus has to be what’s in the best interest of our members.

“Those most affected by the strikes will be our marginalised students, specifically our disabled, international and working class students. This added burden on our members is something that we want to avoid at all costs.”

In what is such a crucial time for students, the union has called on the UCU and the university to “return to negotiations” to ensure disruption is kept at a minimal.

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