Strike action is set to take place in February and March

In advance of the strike action that some university staff will be taking during February and March, I want to reassure you of the steps we are taking to ensure your experience and studies are disrupted as little as possible.

Strike action is set to take place:

• Monday 14 February to Tuesday 22 February 2022
• Monday 28 February to Wednesday 2 March 2022

Some colleagues are also participating in action short of strike, which started in December 2021.This means that they may not be fully undertaking all their normal duties.

Minimising the impact of strike action

Under UK law, staff do not have to tell us in advance if they are planning to take strike action, although departments have been making plans to minimise any potential disruption where they can. There will be some subjects where there will be no disruption to the usual teaching and many students whose learning is not disrupted by the strike action at all, but please do check your Essex email and your texts regularly so that we can notify you of any changes as quickly as possible.

We know that no member of staff takes strike action lightly, and those that do have consistently tried to balance their commitment to these national issues with minimising the impact on students. Reducing the impact of missed classes on learning might include offering alternative sessions, making lecture materials available on Moodle or, after the strike, providing additional support or uploading last year’s lecture on Listen Again, where it is relevant.

We will still be open

All University campuses and facilities will remain open during the strike, this includes the library, sports centre, computer labs, food outlets and other facilities. If you come to campus and your teaching does not take place, you can use our facilities for individual or group study.

Your questions are answered on the Student Directory

Our Student Directory contains further information on a number of areas where you may have concerns, including:

• Attendance record
• Supervision
• Academic performance
• Coursework

Travel and care costs

The Student Directory also includes information about how to request a reimbursement of unnecessary travel or caring costs that you incur on strike days, and for those parking by the hour on Colchester Campus, parking will be free on strike days.

Contact your department

If you have any queries not answered on the Student Directory, please contact your Department or School in the first instance, who will continue to update you with any additional information before or during the strike period.

Keeping you update

We will continue to update you via your Essex email account and will also include strike information in our fortnightly student newsletter Essex Spirit. We will also include full strike details on our Student Directory strike page.

We understand that periods of strike action may disrupt your experience, and we are working with departments to ensure that your learning outcomes are not affected and that you can still access a full range of resources and course materials.

Madeline Eacott
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education