AUT - the higher education union

Association of University Teachers

ONLINE DOCUMENT

Advice on taking strike action

1. WEEK OF STRIKE ACTION: Monday, 23 February – Friday 27 February

As you know, members voted overwhelmingly to support industrial action. AUT’s National Executive has called upon members to take part in a week of strike action beginning on Monday 23 February. The strike action will be organised as follows:

Monday 23 February - members employed by institutions in Wales
Tuesday 24 February - members employed by institutions in England (including Open University)
Wednesday 25 February - members employed by institutions in the United Kingdom
Thursday 26 February - members employed by institutions in Scotland
Friday 27 February - members employed by institutions in Northern Ireland

In ALL institutions, members not employed directly by their institution (for example, by a university company) were excluded from the ballot and are not called on to take action.

2. PICKET LINES

Detailed campaign briefing notes have been prepared and circulated to activists and a copy of these are attached to this briefing for ease of reference.

Local associations are asked to organise picket lines on all entrances to university.

The law on picketing is subject to a code of practice, which states that in general terms ‘the number of pickets (on any one entrance) does not exceed six’. This, however, is only a guide and what is more important is that contact is made with the local police to inform them of the picket and to establish good relations.

The police are likely to be concerned with the number of pickets only where there is a risk of obstruction or a breach of the peace. Members should also be aware that the National Union of Students is organising picket line activity on the same days as our action – both in solidarity with AUT and in furtherance of their campaign against variable fees.

3. AM I BREAKING MY CONTRACT BY TAKING STRIKE ACTION?

Industrial action – both strike action and action short of a strike is a breach of contract. However, the AUT has carried out a statutory ballot and the action has been formally called by the executive committee who have the authority to do this. The law now protects workers from dismissal for taking part in lawful industrial action at any time within eight weeks within the start of the action. Dismissal for taking part in such action is automatically unfair.

Members should expect to have a day’s salary deducted for taking part in each day of strike action. Local associations should negotiate with employers the rate at which this deduction should be made. We have been successful in the past in securing agreement that it should be deducted at a rate of 1/365^th of annual salary. Employers are likely to be advised that they should deduct at a rate of 1/260^th or a similar figure. Where AUT members have no specific hours of work, it is not possible to identify how a higher figure of deduction can be determined.

4. DO I HAVE TO TELL MY EMPLOYER THAT I AM TAKING STRIKE ACTION?

Employing institutions have been notified that AUT members are taking strike action. Members are advised not to pass on to university personnel/administration names of colleagues who are taking part in the action. Where employers wish to ascertain who took action, personnel, administration or payroll staff should contact individual members directly. If asked, members should respond.

5. HOW WILL STRIKE ACTION AFFECT MY PENSION?

Loss of pay for one day may have an effect of reducing pensionable salary for that year. However, the calculation of pensionable salary involves one of two alternative formulae. Any such deduction is only likely to have an effect if it occurs in the last year of service.

6. WHAT CAN MEMBERS DO ON THE DAY OF ACTION?

In addition to withdrawing labour and supporting local picket lines, members should be advised to support the local joint action by AUT and NUS during the week of action. However, members should be clear that they can only withdraw their labour during the designated days of strike action. See attached sheet.

7. I DID NOT RECEIVE A BALLOT PAPER. CAN I TAKE STRIKE ACTION?

If you did not receive a ballot paper because you joined the association too late to vote in the ballot but you are a member covered by the description in the attached list you can take action. If you have any queries about your eligibility to take action, please contact Catherine Wilkinson at Head Office for clarification: catherine.wilkinson@aut.org.uk.

Local membership contacts should continue to keep the association promptly informed of all membership changes throughout this dispute.

Yours sincerely

Matt Waddup
Assistant general secretary

Members (excluding clinical academics and heads of institutions), employed by the institutions below, were included in this ballot and are now being called to take strike action as indicated in this schedule. All these members are called to take action short of a strike beginning on and continuing from 1 March 2004.

Employers in Wales: strike action called for 23 February 2004 and 25 February 2004

University of Wales Aberystwyth	University of Wales College of Medicine	University of Wales Swansea
University of Wales Bangor	University of Wales	University of Glamorgan
Cardiff University	University of Wales Lampeter

Employers in England: strike action called for 24 February 2004 and 25 February 2004

Aston University	School of Oriental and African Studies	Harper Adams University College
University of Bath	School of Pharmacy	University of Hertfordshire
University of Birmingham	University of London (Senate House)	University of Huddersfield
University of Bradford	University College London	Kingston University
University of Bristol	Loughborough University	Leeds Metropolitan University
Brunel University	University of Manchester	Liverpool John Moores University
University of Cambridge	University of Newcastle Upon Tyne	Manchester Metropolitan University
City University	University of Nottingham	Middlesex University
University of Durham	Open University	University College Northampton
University of East Anglia	University of Oxford	University of Northumbria at Newcastle
University of Essex	University of Reading	Nottingham Trent University
University of Exeter	Royal College of Art	Oxford Brookes University
University of Hull	University of Salford	University of Plymouth
Keele University	University of Sheffield	University of Portsmouth
University of Kent	University of Southampton	St Martin's College
University of Lancaster	University of Surrey	Sheffield Hallam University
University of Leeds	University of Sussex	Southampton Institute
University of Leicester	UMIST	London South Bank University
University of Liverpool	University of Warwick	Staffordshire University
Birkbeck College	University of York	University of Sunderland
Goldsmiths College	Royal Agricultural College	University of Teesside
Institute of Education	Bolton Institute	Thames Valley University
King's College London	University of Brighton	University of the West of England
London School of Economics	University of Central Lancashire	University of Westminster
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine	Coventry University	University of Wolverhampton
Queen Mary (University of London)	De Montfort University	University College Worcester
Royal Holloway (University of London)	University of East London	Writtle College
Royal Veterinary College	Edge Hill College of Higher Education	London Metropolitan University
St George's Hospital Medical School	University of Greenwich

Employers in Scotland: strike action called for 25 February 2004 and 26 February 2004

University of Aberdeen	University of St Andrews	Napier University
University of Dundee	University of Stirling	University of Paisley
University of Edinburgh	University of Strathclyde	Queen Margaret University College
University of Glasgow	University of Abertay Dundee	Robert Gordon University
Heriot-Watt University	Glasgow Caledonian University

Employers in Northern Ireland: strike action called for 25 February 2004 and 27 February 2004

Queen’s University of Belfast

University of Ulster

Any members employed by subsidiary university companies, the Medical Research Council, or otherwise not employed by the higher education institution at which they are an AUT member, were not included in the industrial action ballot and are not included in this call to take action.