Members of the UCU (University and College Union) will be proceeding with a boycott of marking and assessments on April 20th, which could affect the timeline for results for current students. The strike action over pay, which has led to cancellation of lectures and classes throughout the year, will continue as members voted to reject the standing pay and working conditions offer. On the issue of retirement benefits, 85% voted to accept the deal.
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The boycott will mean that some students may not receive their marks on spring term exams and coursework for some time, which could bring graduation to a halt. If individual institutions choose to offer degree qualifications based on past marks, however, students could graduate as usual.
The boycott is set to remain in place until the dispute has been settled, the ballot mandate ends, or the UCU decides to end it. If it ends with the ballot mandate, the changes will be in place until September. The strike as a whole began in October of 2022. A renewal of industrial action for six months was made in April.
Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, stated: “UCU members in their tens of thousands have voted overwhelmingly to move forward with pension proposals agreed with employers which will pave the way for the restoration of benefits. When we launched our pensions dispute, university vice chancellors doubted us, and government ministers criticised us. We were told it was impossible to win back a stolen pension but today UCU members have proven that it can be done, and we have taken a giant step towards a historic victory that will change lives.
“In the pay and conditions dispute, UCU members at 145 universities will now prepare to begin a marking and assessment boycott on 20 April. University staff have been clear that they want a better deal, and it is in the interests of employers to make an enhanced offer and prevent serious disruption hitting graduations.”
University and Colleges Employers Association Chief Executive Raj Jethwa called the developments “disappointing but not surprising,” adding that, “Nonetheless, there is much for the UCU to now consider, given the split in the membership. The fact that under a third of UCU’s membership voted to reject suggests that many understand the financial pressures facing the sector, as well as the positive progress made in the pay dispute.
“Although two-thirds of academics are not actually members of UCU or any union, any threat to hurt students by not assessing their work through the marking and assessment boycott is taken extremely seriously. Despite consistent feedback from HE institutions confirming low and isolated industrial action impacts, HE institutions will again prioritise mitigations to support students.”
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