The University College Union has announced 14 days of strike action across 74 UK universities, affecting potentially over 1 million students. This follows strike action earlier in the academic year in Novemeber and December. The strikes for some students could amount to hundres of contact hours lost each across the 22 days of strike action.

Whether you support the UCU action or oppose it this petition stands for fair treatment of students. The success of this petition could be painful for UK Universities as they would have to reimburse students a part of their fees. This lost revenue may incentivise universities to take more action to prevent future strikes as well as treat staff with the respect they deserve.

Details of the strike dates and the issues can be found below:

https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10621/UCU-announces-14-strike-days-at-74-UK-universities-in-February-and-March

This petition calls on the universities involved in the strikes to sufficiently reimburse students for any contact hours that they miss due to strike action. This is coming at a particularly difficult time in the academic calendar, with many students commencing their assessed essays or preparing for exams. It is wholly unacceptable that universities may not provide the teaching resources and contact hours they are contractually obliged to, while still taking our tuition fees in full. As the relevant universities will not be paying lecturers and teaching staff on the days they strike, it is unfair that our money will not be spent on our education.

We, the undersigned, demand that a fair level of compensation is given to account for this. While the amount or type of compensation is up for debate, this petition seeks to establish the principle that compensation is due to students, who through no fault of their own shall not receive teaching time that they will still have to pay for. This could be in the form of direct cash payments to students who miss contact hours;  investing the money not paid to strikers into extra student facilities across the relevant campuses, which should be clearly evidenced and publicly published or perhaps putting the money towards a student hardship fund to help vulnerable students. Whatever the method, we demand compensation for lost teaching time in which students bare no fault, but are paying a heavy price.

[Credit for the above statement must go to Rhal Ssan from a previous petition relating to strike action in 2018.]