Introduction to the industrial action
In its currently notified period of industrial action, the University and College Union (UCU) Sheffield branch asked its members to take 16 days of strike action over the risk of compulsory redundancies at the University. The strike days were as follows:
- 17, 18, 19, and 21 of November
- 24, 25, 26, and 27 of November
- 1, 2, 4, and 5 of December
- 9, 10, 11, and 12 of December
From Monday 17 November, UCU has also asked its members to take action short of a strike (ASOS), and continues to do so.
Now that the strike days have ended, our priority is to replace any lost teaching and to continue to minimise the disruption to our students.
Prior to the industrial action beginning and during the first week, we were in regular discussions with UCU to try to find a resolution to their dispute. The University made four offers with a view to ending industrial action called by UCU. Three offers were made before UCU commenced strike action and one offer after the first three days of action had taken place. Unfortunately, UCU members did not accept these offers.
Whilst we were not able to come to an agreement with UCU, we remain committed to working with them to build a sustainable future for the University.
As we navigate this period of uncertainty and change in higher education, we have a responsibility to ensure we deliver the best possible experience for our students whilst operating in a financially balanced and stable way. Like many other universities, we are doing this by making changes, for example to our structures, staffing, and programmes. We are also striving to achieve savings through voluntary means and, to date, we have made no compulsory redundancies.
We thank our community for their support during this challenging time.