UCU faces challenge on rescheduling lectures lost to strike

The University and College Union’s advice that staff may need to reschedule lectures and classes lost to strike action is likely to be challenged.

Staff at 58 UK campuses walked out from 1 to 3 December in disputes over pay, pensions and working conditions as a campaign of action short of a strike (ASOS) began at a larger number of institutions.

In previous strikes, ASOS has included not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled because of industrial action. However, under guidance issued by the UCU this time around, the “first phase of ASOS will consist of working to rule only”.

“If members are asked to take on additional tasks (such as teaching classes rescheduled due to strike action) this may form a reasonable request from management and, therefore, would form part of their contractual duties,” one union official explained on Twitter.

That approach has faced opposition from some union members who worry that it accepts universities’ position that any cancelled contact hours must be rescheduled – with refusal to do this likely to result in pay deductions.

It was decided at a meeting of the UCU’s higher education committee, but it is likely to be directly challenged at an upcoming meeting on 10 December with the aim of instructing union members to begin more disruptive forms of ASOS.

Jo McNeill, vice-president of the University of Liverpool’s UCU branch, said “usually the notice served on our employers includes the right to refuse to reschedule work missed during strike days, but this time the notice did not include this specification. This will be rectified soon.”

She added: “Our members are drowning under the weight of unmanageable workloads, so it’s unclear how they will physically be able to reschedule work missed.”

However, one industrial relations expert said the UCU would have had “to gauge how much support they would have for action which would lead to employers making pay deductions” in the run-up to Christmas.

The UCU said industrial action would “escalate over the coming weeks unless bosses meet our demands”.

“The overwhelming ‘yes’ vote in our industrial action ballots has given our members a mandate to escalate ASOS to include withdrawal from contractual duties when our democratic structures deem it is appropriate to do so,” a spokesman said.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com