UCU confirms strike dates

Read messages from Professor Nicola Innes, Professor Roger Whitaker, and Dr Liz Wren-Owens, sent on 11 April, about upcoming industrial action and how it may affect undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research students.

As this is a copy of an email sent to students, the links within are on the student intranet and require logging in to access.

Email to undergraduate and postgraduate taught students

Dear student,

University and College Union (UCU) recently received a mandate for strike action, and they have now confirmed it will include a marking and assessment boycott (MAB), starting 6 May. Strike days have also been confirmed for 1 May, 6 May, 9 June and 23-27 June.

28.04.25: UCU strike action on 1 May has been postponed.

Members of the University Executive Board and I absolutely understand how disappointing this news will be.

We don’t know which schools or programmes will be affected or how. Some staff won’t be participating, so you may not be affected. Many of you will receive your results on time, progress, and (if in your final year), graduate as planned.

However, we sincerely regret some students may experience disruption, such as a delay in receiving marks. Although we can’t predict which students will be affected, we’ll do everything we can to reduce the impact it will have on you, working with Examining Boards and ensuring all degrees are awarded while maintaining academic standards.

Graduation ceremonies will go ahead as planned in July. If you have received your invitation, please reply to let us know you’d like to attend and continue making preparations for your day.

I’m very sorry that you’re having to experience this uncertainty. However, if this strike action impacts you, support is always here. If you need help, contact Student Connect or the Student Advice Centre at the Students’ Union.

Both your school and I will write to you again when we know more. Until then, the student intranet has lots of information on industrial action. Do continue to engage with your learning and teaching - and complete all your assessments.

Best wishes,

Professor Nicola Innes
Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education and Student Experience

Email to postgraduate research students

Dear student,

University and College Union (UCU) recently received a mandate for strike action, and they have now confirmed this will include a marking and assessment boycott (MAB), starting 6 May. Strike days have also been confirmed for 1 May, 6 May, 9 June and 23-27 June. We acknowledge that some of you may be supporting, and perhaps participating in, industrial action.

28.04.25: UCU strike action on 1 May has been postponed.

As a PGR student, industrial action may impact you in several ways, including if you:

• have a progress monitoring event due
• are due to submit your thesis for examination
• are awaiting feedback on your work

We sincerely regret some of you may experience disruption. However, if this strike action impacts you, support is always available. If you need help, contact Student Connect or the Student Advice Centre at the Students’ Union.

Both your school and we will write to you again when we know more. Until then, the student intranet has further information on industrial action.

Best wishes

Nicola, Roger and Liz

Professor Nicola Innes
Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education and Student Experience

Professor Roger Whitaker
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Enterprise

Dr Liz Wren-Owens
Dean for Postgraduate Research Students