Email sent to members on Wednesday 23rd July 2025. Minor edits have been made from the original.
Dear Members,
It was excellent to see nearly 200 of you at our meeting, and thank you to everyone who spoke – whether on mic or via the chat. It was fantastic to hear your energy, care and solidarity.
This email is to provide a summary of where things stand for our branch and dispute, and information about our upcoming strike action, our plans for pickets tomorrow, and action short of a strike.
There is a lot of information to summarise here, so it is inevitably quite long – please use the headings to guide you and please do read to the end.
Meeting summary and next steps
At our branch meeting yesterday afternoon, we discussed our plans for strike action tomorrow (Thursday 24th) and Action Short of a Strike in the light of the latest news on Phase 1 of Future Nottingham.
A running theme was the widespread discontent, anger is a better word, over the running of Phase 1 and the ongoing refusal to rule out even at this late stage the use of compulsory redundancy.
A vote was held and the meeting decided to continue with the strike action and ASOS called two weeks ago.
The call for solidarity with our APM members, friends and colleagues from the meeting was loud and clear. As was the recognition that this is an opportunity to demonstrate our resolve and strength of feeling ahead of Phase 2 in the autumn. We look forward to seeing all who can join us on the picket lines!
Participation in the strike
When it comes to industrial action, all members are expected to participate as part of the collective responsibility that comes with union membership.
However, if you have accepted a VR offer (please see advice from UCU regional office below), are on annual leave, research leave, field research or attending a conference on the day of the strike and cannot take part, we strongly encourage you to show solidarity with your friends and colleagues by donating 50% of your day’s salary to the hardship fund:
UCU Nottingham LA63 Hardship Fund
Account number: 20346359
Sort code: 60-83-01
For both strike action and ASOS, line managers are likely to ask staff to declare participation in advance. Some have already asked this in all staff emails. Please remember however that we are required to declare participation after returning to work, not in advance. If in doubt, talk to your department rep or contact the branch committee.
Picketing – let us know you’re coming!
As our strike day on Thursday takes place on a day of graduation ceremonies, with cars arriving and leaving campus much of the day. West and North entrances of University Park will be especially busy – and our dispute can be made highly visible.
Therefore, we will hold a picket at University Park West Entrance from 8am until 3pm. (The Beeston roundabout.) We ask that you join us for a few hours, if you are able to, as part of your strike action. Please let us know when you are coming by using this form. This will help us plan for tomorrow!
We have a number of signs, leaflets, arm bands, and UCU branded paraphernalia, but essential to any picket are the placards picketers make and bring! Whistles, drums, maracas, vuvuzelas, and pots to bang are all welcome too – as are any snacks you want to share!
ASOS fundamentals
For guidance and frequently asked questions about ASOS, please see the ASOS Fundamentals page of our branch website noted in last week’s newsletter. We are updating this as people ask new questions, so do ask your reps or the branch committee!
New to industrial action or to picketing?
A ‘picketing for beginners guide’ has been added to the branch website.
Our branch was last out on strike in 2023. Many of you will be experienced in HE industrial disputes, pickets and ASOS from the USS and Four Fights campaigns. Many of you will also be new to the branch or to participating in strike action. The first thing to know is that our picket lines, in contrast to how they may be portrayed in the media and in pop culture, are friendly places.
While we protest and call attention to the serious failings of our employer, picket lines are places of positivity. We stand in solidarity with colleagues we would not ordinarily speak to and feel part of an academic community. Whether it is philosophical discussions on what the university should be, picket line dogs, honks of solidarity, kids starting their union training early, there is loads of excitement to be had. So join us for however long you are able!
In that spirit, we recognise that picket lines are not equally accessible to all. Whether that is because you have caring responsibilities, are a disabled member of the union, or otherwise face barriers. No member of the branch should ever feel they are the lesser when their strike action does not include picketing. As long as you withdraw your labour for the day, you are making an important contribution! Feel free to reach out to fellow members to feel some solidarity as you strike away from campus, or reach out to someone you know can’t be there.
Regional UCU advice for staff taking VR
We have received advice from UCU regional legal advisors that members who have a voluntary redundancy agreement agreed or signed off may put their settlement agreement at risk if they strike. We therefore recommend that those members do not strike, but contribute to the strike fund instead (details above). If you are in this position and wish to visit the pickets on the day to talk with colleagues and express support, know you are welcome.
Workload pressures
APM members in our meeting made it clear that the loss of colleagues through VR is already causing significant workload issues and work-related stress. The branch workload group will be organising a meeting soon for APM members to discuss how to record this impact and hold the university to account to ensure that staff wellbeing is protected.
Closing reflections: Solidarity with APM is Solidarity to all
The actions of the University in recent months have seen many new members join our Branch at Nottingham. All members are important to our action and having the backs of our administrative, library, and IT colleagues is vital. Whilst research and teaching staff constitute the majority of UCU members, APM staff are essential to the university – and across all job grades APM staff have been targeted first (and will be targeted again). Phase 2 is coming soon and our academic colleagues will need our action again.
For now, it is therefore essential that we stand together – at the picket line tomorrow if you are able – to make the biggest impression we can on management, and to show our solidarity with our dear APM colleagues. Together we are a formidable force.
Looking forward to seeing you on the picket lines!
In solidarity,
Will Patterson (Picket Lead) and Lopa Leach
(On behalf of branch committee).