Information for Students

As we begin a new academic year, and with some of you are joining our University community for the first time, we as members of the local UCU branch want firstly to thank all of the students who have supported us in our campaign for a better University, and for a better sector. Every time a student has joined us on the picket line, or written to the Principal in support, or has individually let staff know of your support this has meant so much to all of us. We know that you share our desire to have a university where staff are paid well and fairly, and where things like gender, ethnicity, and disability pay gaps are eradicated. We also know that staff on casualised contracts or facing extreme workloads are often unable to provide you with the standard of teaching and care that you came to St Andrews for. We continue to fight for improvements in these areas, and your support is so important in that. 

We know that strikes, and the marking and assessment boycott, can cause a lot of disruption for you, and that many of you will be very relieved with the news that the planned strikes for week 0 and week 1 were called off. There will be national strike days across September 25th-29th at other universities across the UK. We take industrial action as a last resort - when avenues of negotiation have broken down at either the national or local level. National strikes are our attempt to get the employers representatives (UCEA) to come back to negotiations with UCU and other university trade unions. Your support is one of the ways we can push for such negotiations to happen. If further industrial action is called this year, we will work with Students' Association to keep you informed as much as is possible, and we will continue to fight for a better University for all of us.