**Please note that this policy has been superseded by UP2108**
What would you like the Union to do?
Students’ Union UCL should not support potential upcoming nationwide strikes by academics.
Students’ Union UCL should lobby UCU and UCL academics not to strike, and to instead put students first. This could be achieved through a targeted campaign, encouraging academics to boycott the UCU ballot.
Additionally, Students’ Union UCL should also challenge the position taken by the NUS NEC, supporting the UCU in its intention to strike nationally.
Why would you like to do this?
Whilst we are sympathetic to the cause, and hold a deep appreciation for our academic community, industrial action, after 2 academic years which were afflicted by consistent national lockdowns, would only serve to further damage the experience of students at UCL. This would also seriously put into question the value for money of the UCL experience.
Students have already endured a year of online learning. Now is the time for students to be rebuilding from these months of disruption, not for students to face a further obstacle to their education. Many students will have experienced the same strikes in 2019. For some students, they will have experienced strikes, followed by two academic sessions disrupted by Covid. The prospect of a further disturbance to their studies is untenable.
At this time, strikes will only serve to damage students more. Constructive discussion and negotiation, on a national level, is required to overcome the pension dispute.
How will this affect students?
Students will be able to fulfill their academic ambitions in full, without having to endure weeks of disruption due to industrial action.