UCU strikes: 60 per cent of Sheffield students oppose new lecturer walkouts, poll shows

A majority Sheffield students have come out against the planned lecturer strikes this month.

Some 60 per cent said they were against the 14 days of industrial action set to take place from February 20 to March 13, in a poll of 274 students and graduates.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) balloted to walk out again at 74 universities in a row over pay and pensions.

A further Tab Sheffield poll of 389 students and graduates from the University of Sheffield and Hallam found 91 per cent in favour of receiving compensation over the disruption.

Lucy Davolls, a second-year geography student, told The Tab Sheffield: “I agree with the principle of the strikes because I think university lecturers should be paid a fair pension for all their hard work and support to students.

“But also the impact on students does need to be taken into account because it means we miss four weeks of lectures which can have a big impact.”

The Uni of Sheffield is one of 74 universities set to strike in February and March

More than 1,700 Sheffield students signed a petition during the November wave of strikes demanding a refund. Sheffield’s universities have refused to say where money saved from staff salaries during the eight-day period has gone.

UCU members at Hallam are striking over casual pay contracts and the sector’s gender/ethnicity pay gap, while those at Uni of are striking over both pay and a pensions scheme that they claim will hurt them financially.

The results from The Tab Sheffield’s Instagram poll of hundreds

It comes as a student is suing Sheffield University for £2,000 over 22 days of teaching he lost to previous UCU walk outs in March 2018 and November 2019.

Joseph Ford, a third-year philosophy student, has filed a legal claim and is preparing to take the institution to court if it does not pay him £1,954.99 by February 12.

Another Sheffield student is in uproar after he was referred to counselling for dissenting over the November strike.

The Sheffield UCU branch committee sent an email to the uni’s head of student support services expressing “welfare concern” over him publicly disagreeing with their cause.