Information on planned strike action

The strike dates are as follows:

• Tuesday 10 and Thursday 12 February 2026
• Monday 16 and Friday 20 February 2026
• Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 February 2026
• Monday 2, Tuesday 3 and Thursday 5 March 2026

Union members who take part in the strike action will not work on strike days. As is normal practice in these circumstances, the University will withhold pay from trade union members for each day that they take strike action.

Yes. The University is open as normal. We expect our students to come to the University on these days.

During the strike action, you should assume that your studies will continue as normal. This means you should attend any scheduled teaching sessions and complete and submit assessments by the stated deadlines.

However, during strike action, some classes may be cancelled at short notice. This is because staff are not legally required to tell the University in advance if they plan to take part in strike action.

We hope that lecturers and tutors will inform both students and the University in advance if teaching is likely to be cancelled or rescheduled. You are allowed to ask them whether this is the case, but they are not required to respond.

We will make every effort to minimise disruption. If a lecture or class is cancelled, we will notify you in advance wherever possible.

The action is for trade union members only and is not a legitimate reason to miss classes or assessments. You should attend all classes as usual.

A picket line is a form of protest where staff gather in a specific place, usually near the entrances and exits of campus buildings, to raise awareness of their cause.

Staff on picket lines should not prevent you from entering buildings or restrict your access to any part of the campus. They do not want to disrupt students' education, and picket lines should not feel intimidating.

Campus facilities such as catering, libraries and IT will not be affected.

No. Classes will not be rescheduled as this is part of the academic strike action.

You should look on Moodle for any supplementary material or notes and reading lists that are available. Contact your programme leader, module leader, and/or Personal Development Tutor (PDT) to ask for further advice if you have any concerns about missed classes.

You should comply with assessment submission dates published on Moodle. Any requests for extensions to submission deadlines can be applied for using the usual procedures highlighted on Moodle.

While some of your classes may be affected by the strike action, you will still have access to all learning materials on Moodle. Remember that not all classes will be impacted by any strike action and there are other ways to access the information provided in classes.

For those who need to use these processes for other issues, please refer to the Fit to Sit page.

We will do everything we can to minimise disruption to your classes and coursework. However, there will not be any opportunity for compensation or fee refunds.

Tuition fees cover much more than teaching contact hours. They also contribute to facilities and services such as the library, IT support, student services, heating, lighting, and other essential University costs. For this reason, the University is not able to offer refunds.

If you are not satisfied with the steps we take to reduce the impact of the strike action, you may be able to submit a complaint through the University's complaints procedure.

As for all students, we will do our best to inform you in advance of any classes being cancelled. If you have any concerns or questions, then please contact your programme leader directly.

If you have any concerns about your studies, speak to your Personal Development Tutor (PDT), programme leader or module leader. You may also wish to reach out to Wellbeing and Inclusion for support.

The attendance records of students whose classes are cancelled because of the strike action will not be affected. This includes international students studying on a student visa where non-attendance at a class which is cancelled will not be counted towards a student’s engagement record.

Yes. You should continue to contact your local programme team, module leaders and programme leader.

We will always consider any complaint we receive from students. Before submitting a complaint, please make sure you read the information on the Complaints page.

Our complaints procedure states that dissatisfaction with University policy can be a valid reason for making a complaint. However, it also explains that some policies are set at the discretion of the University. This includes employment-related matters, where the University does exercise this discretion.

We cannot consider complaints about the occurrence of the strike action itself. However, we can consider complaints from students who feel they have been disadvantaged by how the University has mitigated the impact of the strike action. If you are making this type of complaint, please clearly explain:

• What disadvantage you believe you experienced
• How it affected you
• Any relevant evidence to support your complaint

All complaints are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. As with all complaints we receive, we aim to handle them fairly, consistently, and as quickly as possible.

If staff choose to take part in strike action, pay will be deducted. We have shared information with all staff to explain how and when this will happen.

Staff who take part in strike action will not be entitled to pay from the University for strike days, and we are committed to ensuring that funds saved as a consequence of any strike action which impacted upon students will be re-prioritised to benefit students in a range of different ways.