Commonly asked questions
We have provided answers to common questions that you may have in relation to the UCU industrial action. These will be updated as new information comes to hand.
Industrial action
Who was striking?
The action was agreed by the majority of staff who are members of UCU. To be eligible to join UCU, you must be an academic member of staff or a member of professional services staff on pay grades 7-10.
Professional services staff on grades 1-6 are members of different pension schemes and were, therefore, not directly affected by this dispute.
If non-union members go on strike, they have the same rights as union members, as long as the industrial action is lawful. Members of staff who belong to another recognised trade union were not permitted to take part in this action.
Staff members who were not taking part in industrial action were required to attend work as usual.
When did the strikes take place?
The strike action took place over 14 days, spread over a period of four weeks and starting on Thursday 22 February.
- Week one - Thursday 22 and Friday 23 February (two days)
- Week two - Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February (three days)
- Week three - Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March (four days)
- Week four - Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 March (five days)
Were there picket lines?
On strike days union members formed a picket at each of the three entrances to campus: near the zebra crossing in front of Falmer House, near the Sport Centre, and on Knights Gate Road. Picket lines are permitted by law but the number of people picketing is restricted to six for each location.
Can I cross a picket line?
Yes, you can move around campus freely during strike action, should you wish to do so.
The University is committed to maintaining safety and good relations between students and staff, and between people with different views and positions in relation to the industrial action. We hoped that all students and staff, whatever their stance (including those with no position on the strike), will act at all times with respect, both in their words and actions.
The University sought to maintain positive and constructive relations with the trade union during and after the industrial action.
Could students join the strike action or stand on the picket line?
No, UCU could only call on those employed at a university where they had achieved a lawful result in a statutory ballot to take industrial action. This was the case in more than 60 universities.
The law on picketing is very clear that it can only be undertaken by:
- a worker employed by the University; or
- a worker who lost their job for a reason connected to the dispute (and has not since started a new job with a new employer); or
- a union official picketing with the members they personally represent.
Students could not join the picket line (unless they were post-graduate students who were employed by the University).
The running of the University
Was the University open during the industrial action?
The University was open during the industrial action. The University’s priorities were to deliver the best student experience possible during and after the period of industrial action; to minimise negative impacts on students and staff; and to maintain respect, safety and cohesion across campus.
What about my classes?
Students were advised to come to campus with a view to attending classes as usual.
Some lectures or classes may not have taken place on strike days but we could not be sure in advance which these would be; legally, staff do not have to inform the University in advance if they are going on strike.
What should I do if my classes were cancelled?
Students were advised to come to campus expecting some level of disruption and be prepared for self-directed study in the event that lectures/classes were cancelled.
There were multiple learning spaces on campus for students to go to, such as the Library as well as additional space in the Students’ Union at Falmer House and the ACCA cafe.
Will this impact my assessments?
Assessments and examinations will be amended to ensure that you are not assessed on content that was not delivered because of the industrial action.
How did students find out if their classes were cancelled or rearranged?
We provided information on these student pages of the University website and through the Sussex Mobile app – look out for the tile which says ‘Union action info’. University staff wearing orange-coloured ‘Ask Me’ badges were visible and available on campus on all strike days and in all locations, to help, advise and guide students. Students were advised to check Sussex Direct to see if their lecturer had given advance notice that their class would not be taking place on strike days. However, striking staff are not legally required to give notice, so their class may still have appeared in Sussex Direct as going ahead.
Will I be penalised for non-attendance for missing lectures that were cancelled because of industrial action?
No. You will not be penalised for non-attendance where classes were cancelled due to the industrial action.
Will I be penalised for non-attendance for missing lectures that went ahead during industrial action?
During the strike, the University's normal attendance arrangements remained in place. Under these procedures, School Offices got in touch with students once a certain level of unauthorised absence was reached. The School discussed with students how unauthorised absence was affecting academic progress and put in place support measures to help them get back on track.
Will this industrial action impact on the visa status of international students?
The strike action will not negatively impact the visa status of international students. If you are an international student, the strike action may have resulted in the cancellation of some of the expected contact points we use to check your attendance. If expected contacts such as lectures did not happen due to the strike action, this would be through no fault of yours. We would log this so it does not count against you. However, it is important that you came to campus with a view to attending your classes as normal.
Were trains and buses running?
Trains and buses to and from the campus were running as per normal. However, buses were stopping at the A27 stop on the edge of campus so they did not get caught up in any traffic which may have resulted from the strike action.
What support was available for students?
On strike days, some University staff were wearing orange-coloured ‘Ask Me’ badges. These staff were located across campus and were able to provide students with help and answer questions.
The Library and Meeting House were set up as ‘Ask Me’ help centres, where staff were located to answer students' questions. In addition, the Student Life Centre was running as normal.
Will I be compensated?
We don’t yet know what the effects of the proposed industrial action will be. Our overwhelming focus was in delivering the best student experience possible and minimising disruption.
Will you divert striking staff’s wages into a student hardship fund?
We put in place additional measures to minimise disruption across campus and to provide additional support to students. There have been a number of suggestions from students and staff as to how best to do this and we are considering all options.
The issue
What was the issue that has led to the strike action?
The higher education trade union, University and College Union (UCU), notified Sussex and 60 other universities of its intention to carry out industrial action in a national dispute over the pensions of some university staff.
Why were people striking?
Universities UK (UUK), representing Sussex and more than 350 other higher education organisations, was proposing to make changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) to make it sustainable for the long term. The USS currently has a significant deficit, meaning that it does not have enough money to cover all the future pensions that need to be paid. The scheme is required by law to have a recovery plan in place to address this deficit, which has been valued at £7.5 billion.
Which staff does the USS apply to?
All staff at Sussex have the opportunity to be part of a pension scheme. The USS is open only to staff on grades 7-10 and Associate Tutors. Staff who are on grades 1-6 are covered by other pension arrangements facilitated by the University.
Why is the University proposing to cut staff pensions?
The University of Sussex has not made, and does not have the power to make, decisions about the future of the USS.
The USS is a multi-employer pension scheme for around 350 organisations, of which the University of Sussex is one. Proposals for its future are made at a national level by Universities UK (representing all 350 employers) and UCU (representing employees).
What attempts were made to resolve this without strikes?
The JNC is made up of equal numbers of employer (via UUK) and employee (via UCU) representatives. The Committee met around 30 times last year to discuss changes to the scheme but a settlement could not be found. In the last JNC meeting towards the end of January, a vote on the two alternative proposals was tied. The independent chair, Andrew Cubie, used his casting vote to support the UUK proposal. The USS Board has endorsed the proposal and this now becomes the USS proposition for the future of the scheme.
Employers have a statutory obligation to hold meaningful consultations with all USS members on the possible impact of these pension changes on individuals. Any changes would not come into force until 1 April 2019.
What would the proposed changes by UCU have meant for Sussex staff who are members of the USS?
If the Union proposal had been adopted, it would have meant that staff would have had to increase their pension contribution from 8 per cent to 10.9 per cent of their salary.
What is the University of Sussex’s view of the issue?
Whilst the negotiations have taken place at a national level, at Sussex we have been clear that reform is necessary in order to provide a scheme for members that is sustainable and stable, as well as being valued, portable and fair.
When will changes happen to the pension scheme?
Any changes to the scheme are currently proposed to come into force in April 2019.
Why is this happening now?
Every three years there is a valuation of USS to ensure it has sufficient funds to pay the pensions already earned as they fall due to be paid, and that future contributions into the scheme will cover the cost of anticipated payments for pensions and other benefits, such as ill-health, when due.
The latest valuation, which took place on 31 March 2017, showed an increase in the funding deficit to £7.5 billion and the independent Pensions Regulator expressed its concerns over the future of the scheme. The cost of recovering the deficit and of providing the current benefits into the future has risen considerably. The USS trustees are required to sign off the valuation and submit their report and recovery plan to the Pensions Regulator within 15 months of the valuation date (i.e. by 30 June 2018).
Where can I read more about the proposals for USS?
You can read Universities UK’s proposals and UCU’s position online.
Open forum with the Vice-Chancellor - Friday 23 March
On Friday 23 March the Vice-Chancellor held an open forum with students. During that session several questions were sent in anonymously. Please see below a response from the Vice-Chancellor to all the questions which there wasn't time to answer in the session.
In the instances that students sent in statements or comments as opposed to questions, these have not been included.
Provided that we will receive grades that are contingent to what we have achieved so far, can there be a reassurance that progress throughout my degree will be taken into account? I.e. my average in the last few years is greater than the first few, so receiving grades based on my overall degree average would probably be more detrimental than the average of the more recent years of my degree.
I know that schools are already in discussion with students about this - and will continue to do so in the summer term on exactly how assessments will work.
Since both the School of Global Studies and History department have been the most impacted by the strike, would you commit to having a discussion with the students there before taking action on refunds?
I have been speaking to all the heads of schools about the impact of the strikes on students in different schools – and I have received thousands of emails, so I do feel aware of how students have been impacted. However, as I said in the session last week, I am keen to keep holding open sessions – and I will have one-to-one sessions after the spring break where students can come and talk to me directly. I’ll share information on the dates of those sessions very shortly.
Regarding refunds, as I said in the open session, it is important to note that this is complex as, although in many cases teaching wasn’t scheduled, the University was still open and running – and students were able to come to the campus and use facilities such as the Library and many other work spaces. I know this didn’t make up for lost hours of teaching; however, it will need to be taken into consideration when we are looking into this matter. *
Would you commit to holding a forum with students - especially international students - to better understand how we were affected by the strike before deciding on any amount of refund?
As above*.
Would you agree to having a fully independent review of the pension fund while holding the status quo?
This is not in my gift, unfortunately – this is completely down to the Pensions Regulator, who has made it very clear that the status quo is not an option. Whatever is agreed going forward will need to satisfy the regulator.
There is a 23 March proposal that is currently being considered by UCU members and this might resolve the dispute.
How will you evaluate our (overseas students) loss and damages?
As I said in the open session, it is important to note that this is complex as, although in many cases teaching wasn’t scheduled, the University was still open and running – and students were able to come to the campus and use facilities. I know this didn’t make up for lost hours of teaching; however, it will need to be taken into consideration when we are looking into this matter.
What is the procedure for asking the money I lost because of the strike, due to I paid for services I never got?
As above.*
Why is the VC now saying he's not a pensions expert when asked simple questions by students, but felt like he was expert enough to chair national negotiations about the same pension scheme?
As I said in the open session, I was brought on board because of my experience as a mediator and because I have close working relationships with senior people on both sides of the dispute. I didn’t chair the sessions, but I was part of a group. Having people who are politically skilled in seeking and securing resolution is an important addition to those with subject-level expertise – otherwise you face gridlock, such as we had before Acas.
You say your priority is the students and ensuring that we receive the highest quality of education, yet your actions are directly related to this strike and the disruption in our education. What are you doing to negotiate in support of the lecturers at the University of Sussex?
This is simply untrue. Over the weeks of the strike, I was in close contact with both Universities UK and the leadership of UCU in an attempt to find a resolution to the strike that would be acceptable to both sides. This is why I joined the talks at Acas. I am aware that claims to the contrary have been made, but would refer you to the email sent by the President of Sussex UCU to his members that acknowledged the changes in the talks after I joined.
I'm sure like many students I've missed a lot of lessons, therefore my choice of questions I can write essays for my final assessment has significantly reduced! I'm now in a position that I have only a choice of three (based on introduction week) from a previous 12 questions to now choose from. None of these I'm interested in writing on as they're vague and introductory questions. My lecturers have said we cannot write an essay on a topic we've not been taught. We now have to wait until after Easter to find out if there's any more topics that can be covered for us to write an essay on. This means our time after the Easter break to write multiple essays is now constrained as we cannot get a head start during the next few weeks. This is not ideal! Will there be any extensions on assessments?
I know that schools are already in discussion with students about this - and will continue to do so in the summer term on exactly how assessments will work.
What is your view of the Adam Tickell parody Twitter account?
I’m a firm believer in freedom of expression.
Would you say you are liked by the majority of students?
I wouldn’t know. Ultimately I’m here to lead the institution – and that will frequently mean making difficult decisions. However, I will never be a VC who makes decisions in order to remain popular. I will always be guided by the evidence in front of me and what I believe is in the best interests for the future of this university, our staff and our students.
Do you think you will be remembered as being on the right side of history or the wrong?
I’ll come back to you on that one in a few decades.
Do you think you deserve the salary you earn?
Although my salary is very much the average amount for VCs in the UK, I absolutely accept that I am paid well. I won’t ever try to claim otherwise. My salary is part of the contract between me and the University’s governing Council – I take that contract and the responsibilities it brings extremely seriously.
Assuming as you've stated that nothing can be done about strikes or missed hours, is there no general agreement on mark leniency? People I've spoken to in different schools have been given different extension deadlines or lack of, and been given different answers on mark leniency. I think all students affected need a concrete answer on this because it's extremely worrying for many of us that we've missed vital teaching and may not get the grades we have been working so hard for. How can you address this?
I know that schools are already in discussion with students about this - and will continue to do so in the summer term on exactly how assessments will work.
Who said "If pensions fail to meet expectations there is a quiet violence"?
I did, in a paper published in previous years. I’m very happy to talk to you about the context in which it was used and broader points raised in that paper, which referred to a very different context.The University already contributes 18% of academics’ salaries to the USS pension scheme (which typically compares to pension contributions in the UK private and charitable sectors of 5% to 7%).
Why did you support UUK's valuation, which numerous commentators said was not transparent and does not hold up to scrutiny?
UUK did not provide the valuation – this came from the USS pension scheme trustees (which includes representatives from the UCU union and UUK) and was accepted by the Pensions Regulator.
How will masters students whose assessment is purely based on term papers have their assessment adjusted accordingly? Students assessed on exams have been told they will not be assessed on the topic they have missed.
I know that schools are already in discussion with students about this - and will continue to do so in the summer term on exactly how assessments will work.
How are you planning to support final-year students whose assessments will be impacted by the next round of strikes? Many are trying to apply for jobs or masters courses next year but are unable to plan because they do not know if they will even be able to graduate.
I know that schools are already in discussion with students about this - and will continue to do so in the summer term on exactly how assessments will work.
You have contradicted yourself saying that there are classrooms in JMS that are not fit for purpose yet you have had to cancel the building that was to replace JMS, but there is somehow enough money for the construction of new expensive accommodation buildings that are going to replace East Slope which is one of the most affordable accommodations for less privileged students. Clearly the money has already been assigned to the new accommodation buildings, but if you do care about not having to make staff redundant as much as you say you do, why are such large amounts of money being assigned to projects which do not appear to be urgent?
The East Slope development for new student residences is being partly financed by Balfour Beatty. We do need to make investments in our campus for the long-term benefit of our students, who rightly expect the very best learning environments. As such we are looking at how we can make improvements to JMS while the long-term plans are being looked at. Also, whilst we develop new residences we have also cut the price of a third of our campus rents, to ensure that there continues to be accommodation at a range of price points.
What specifically is being done to communicate to staff a) the significance of monitoring international student engagements / attendance for visa purposes, b) how striking staff can support them while on strike and c) to communicate information re rumours of an upcoming UKVI audit?
The University has been communicating, and will continue to regularly update staff with any new processes they need to carry out during this time.
Had you seen the letter leaked to the FT in October firsthand?
Yes, it was circulated to all member institutions in October. It was sent to all of the trustees of the pension scheme and three of these are nominated by the trade union, UCU. I would expect them to have shared it with their negotiators
If staff strike over the period where our essays and exams would be marked, what will happen to our grades? Example: receiving predicted grades for these courses, them being marked later?
I know that schools are already in discussion with students about this - and will continue to do so in the summer term on exactly how assessments will work
Please also see: