Staff who are members of the University and College Union (UCU) will be taking targeted virtual and physical strike action this week 25th-29th September, The purpose of this is to press the University's employer's association and Brunel University, as an influential member of that body, for fair pay, secure contracts, and equality at work. A physical picket will take place this Wednesday 27th September between 1pm and 3pm outside the Eastern Gateway building, and the UCU welcomes support from any students who wish to join them.
As part of that picket, there will be an open in-person teach-out session on “Striking and Collective Organising as Transformative Occupations”, given by Mike Griffin – an occupational therapist who is also a shop steward and member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists / UNISON panel.
Following open dialogue with the union of Brunel students the UCU want to assure you that “your lecturers and other staff who are striking do not do this lightly. Their real-terms pay has fallen by ~25% since 2009, but university employers have continually stalled negotiations and held back on improvements to pay and conditions”.
Brunel UCU staff are keen for students to support this action, on the basis that “staff working conditions are student learning conditions, If the staff teaching you are overworked, underpaid and increasingly on zero-hours or temporary contracts, you will not be getting the student experience you deserve. Brunel’s senior management, as part of the university employers’ association, has power to change this.”
If you want to find out more about why the UCU is striking and how they came to that decision a fuller explanation including how it might affect you has been provided by the UCU and can be found at https://brunel.web.ucu.org.uk/resources/info-for-students-on-mandate-for-action .
Any student affected by staff taking strike action can also get independent advice and support from the Students’ Union, via https://brunelstudents.com/advice