Email to students 15 November 2019

Dear students,

The University and College Union (UCU) has announced, following the recent ballot, that industrial action will take place in the form of an eight-day period of strike action related to the USS pension scheme and pay and conditions, commencing on Monday 25 November, to be followed by a period of action short of a strike (ASOS). Action short of a strike can include working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and not undertaking voluntary activities.

I understand that students will be concerned about the potential impact on their studies. My priority is making sure we have the right support and procedures in place to minimise the impact on you. 

I recognise that the decision to vote for industrial action is not taken lightly and respect colleagues’ right to take industrial action. Following that decision, we have established a Contingency Planning Group. This Group, chaired by Professor John Robinson, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students, is working closely with academic and support departments to identify practical steps we can take to minimise any disruption to you. The University Executive Board will also be considering how we best respond to the industrial action at its meetings in the coming weeks.

We are pulling together information and frequently asked questions that we will share with you next week. In the meantime if you have any queries please contact industrial-action-enquiries@york.ac.uk 

I will keep you updated on further developments and decisions as they emerge.

Best wishes,

Charlie Jeffery

Vice-Chancellor