Strike FAQs (Will be updated before September 2023 Strike Days)
These FAQs are written by members, for members, covering the questions that have come up for us the most in the lead up to strike action! There are more extensive National UCU HE disputes FAQs here.
If you want to add your own question and answer, please send them to ucu@st-andrews.ac.uk
Q) How much pay will I lose if I go on strike?
A) Based on previous strike deductions, the university will deduct 1/365th of your annual salary.
For a full-time colleague on Grade 5, scale point 23 the per-day deduction would be £36633/365 = £100.36.
For colleagues on fractional contracts, they have previously taken the 1/365th after the fractional nature of the contract has been taken into account. So for a 0.5 FTE colleague on G5 scale pt 23 the per-day deduction would therefore be: (36633 x 0.5)/365 = £50.18.
For hourly paid members who fill in time sheets, you just don't submit claims for the hours you don't work, and deductions will be made based on those hours.
You can find out your pay grade by looking on the HR portal or on your GTA contract, and the pay scale can be viewed here.
The university usually spreads pay deductions out over several months.
Q) I want to strike but I can’t afford the pay deductions
A) You can claim from the National UCU fighting fund from the second day you strike up to 11 days. The amount is £75/day if you earn less than £30,000 or £50/day if you earn more than £30,000. If you are in particular need of financial assistance, e.g. hourly paid members, select “yes” to the special circumstances button and your application will be prioritised.
We also have a local fighting fund that you can claim from (see below). All members can claim from the local fund for the first day they are on strike. Members in particular financial need, e.g. GTAs and those on precarious or casualised contracts, can claim for additional days and can apply before deductions have been taken.
Q) How do I claim from the local and national fighting funds?
Step 1) Use the local fund to claim up to £75 for the first day of strike action. Here is the application form, and see also the privacy notice.
Step 2) Apply to the national fighting fund for up to £75 per day from days 2-11. Salaried staff need to provide payslips with deductions as evidence; hourly paid staff can use emails or other documents to show when you were scheduled to work.
Step 3) For hourly paid/precarious staff members, if your pay loss is not fully covered by Steps 1 and 2, contact the branch treasurer Anna Smith (aes29@) to re-apply to the local fighting fund.
Q) I'm externally funded, what happens to my strike deductions?
A) We have confirmation from HR and FAS that "for those on grant funded posts, the money (strike deductions) is deducted but is still held in the grant account." You may wish to confirm this with your FAS contact, or with the grant holder (if that's not you). This money may be reallocated within the grant for research and salary costs.
Q) What should I do about my online materials, e.g. recorded lectures?
A) The live mandate for action short of a strike now includes
working to contract
not covering for absent colleagues
removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lectures or classes that will be or have been cancelled as a result of strike action
not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action
not undertaking any voluntary activities
Members participating in the industrial action should therefore remove any online content, including pre-recorded lectures, relating to teaching events that are cancelled due to strike action. The committee recommends that individual members remove these materials themselves, and that members co-ordinating modules or programmes in which several colleagues are involved feel free to alert students that materials might be removed.
Q) My department/unit does not have many other UCU members, I feel isolated and/or vulnerable to anti-union action and/or require some support
A) There is a wide range of union membership across the University with a huge variation in local pressures. We recognize this range and particularly want to support vulnerable/isolated members. Often this isolation between departments/units is used against members. Sometimes just knowing that a specific decision is local and ad hoc and not shared across the University is very powerful information. Ultimately your issues are our issues. We want to know and provide support.
There are various ways to reach out. We have an active private slack channel for all members (for access email: ucu@st-andrews.ac.uk) that has various discussions/information/working groups. We have an active executive committee that engages with regular meetings with PO raising issues identified by members. The local branch also supports specific individual issues. Members should feel welcome to contact the local branch for any issues arising (ucu@st-andrews.ac.uk). Early help can prevent bigger problems down the road.
Q) I think the university leadership has our best interests at heart.
A) It is probably true that staff in some Schools/Units in St Andrews may feel ok - with a strong and sympathetic HoS, things locally may look ok to them. But the pressures on all staff have been huge and there is wide variation between schools. Many colleagues are struggling with some or all of the things we're taking action on (pay, equality, workloads, casualisation, pensions). There is also the wider aspect of national position, where the sector as a whole has failed staff consistently in the drive to marketisation.
Hot tips for hot pickets:
Dress warm! Thermals, thick socks, boots, hats, gloves, onesies. The fire in your heart will only keep you warm in Feb/March if you're wearing enough layers to reflect the heat back in.
Dress colourful! (if you want to) Wednesday Feb 1 was a strike date for ours and many other unions, and we went all out for a colourful party picket!
Get musical! Bring your speakers, instruments, pots and pans, sheet music with fun lyrics. Curate your picket playlist or check out our own Discobedience!
Keep warm! Hand warmers, hot water bottles, thermos with hot drinks, fleece blankets - our pickets have a history of snow, so you know what to do!
Take photos! Ask permission from members at your picket before taking photos, and no photos of children without their parent or guardian's permission. Share photos on social media and tag @ucustandrews and @ucu on Twitter with #UCUrising