Industrial Action and Definitions

• Log into AberPeople through the University’s Human Resources page. Select your employment and then absences
• Click on Absence Request to add a new absence
• Enter the details into the following screen
  • If you were on strike select On Strike
  • If you were not working normally due to a strike select Not Working Normally Due to Strike
  • If you are reporting Action Short of Strike Action select Action Short of Strike then in the Absence Reason box indicate if you are participating in Action Short of Strike Action Not setting marking or assessing
  • Or Supporting Action but working normally Setting marking and assessing as normal
• You should indicate the date the action started and an end date.
• Then you will need to click on Send for approval at the bottom of the page
• You can check to see what absences you have recorded by clicking In progress or Approved.
• If you're unable to access AberPeople, we request that you download and complete the following form Industrial Action - HR Notification Form and e-mail it to hr@aber.ac.uk

UCU voted for a Marking and Assessment boycott on 20 April 2023, in relation to the dispute regarding pay and working conditions.  This was withdrawn on 6 September 2023.  Heads of Department will be working closely with staff to ensure that any outstanding marking and assessment is completed as a matter of priority.

University and Colleges Union (UCU) has notified Aberystwyth University that it has secured a mandate for Industrial Strike Action and Action Short of Strike (ASOS) following a ballot of its members on continuous below inflation pay rises with this year’s being 3% and the restoration of USS pension benefits   

The strike action will take place on the following dates:  

• Monday 25th September
• Tuesday 26th September
• Wednesday 27th September
• Thursday 28th September
• Friday 29th September   

UCU has asked its members to take the following continuous action short of strike (ASOS) from Wednesday 23rd November 2022. This includes:   

• Working to contract.  
• Not undertaking any voluntary activities.  
• Not covering for absent colleagues.  
• Not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action. 
• Removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lectures or classes that will be or have been cancelled as a result of strike action  

UCU members will undertake full strike action on the above days only at this stage. It is possible that further strike action will take place in the new year.   

On all other working days UCU striking members will undertake ASOS.   

ASOS is a range of sanctions aimed at causing disruption up to but not including full strike action.    

UCU is prevented from undertaking other forms of ASOS than those listed above as per its ballot papers.  

UCU members were advised on their ballot papers that taking industrial action might constitute a breach of their contract of employment.  

 Where ASOS breaches the contract of employment will amount to partial performance of duties.  Where an employee renders partial performance, the University may choose to withhold 100% of pay.  

 Whether or not ASOS breaches the contract of employment will depend on the type of action taken.  We appreciate that interpretations may be different and that such action is not as clear cut as in a strike situation.  If in doubt, please contact your union institutional representative for advice.  

UCU members will be leading strike action, but any category of staff detailed in UCU’s notice to strike are able to take part.  Please contact UCU Union representatives for further information 

Striking employees are not obliged to inform the University if they are participating in strike action until the say of a strike.  

Within 24 hours of industrial action, employees taking part in strike action or not working normally due to strike action you need to visit,  

https://abw.aber.ac.uk/agresso/Login/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fAgresso log in using your username and password and fill in the required information.    

 If you are taking part in ASOS, you need to visit,   

https://abw.aber.ac.uk/agresso/Login/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fAgresso log in using your username and password and fill in the required information.    

 You must complete this online form no later than 24 hours of your participation in strike action, of you not working normally due to strike action and/or commencing ASOS.  

 We expect most staff to complete notification through ABW, by exception a paper form can be completed. Print one out at http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/strike-information/ and return the completed form to the HR Department within 48 hours of you not working normally due to strike action. 

You should go to the HR website http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/strike-information/ and download the reporting form. If you are unable to access the website, please ask your line manager to print off a hard copy of the reporting form for you. Alternatively, you can contact a member of your HR Team on thr@aber.ac.uk .   

If you are not due to work on a particular day, then you do not need to take any action.  

You should update your ABW profile to confirm that you have concluded or started strike or ASOS action.  

It is important that you update your status at the point you conclude striking to ensure that you salary is reinstated to your normal contractual salary from the date on which you return to normal working.   

Please note pay already withheld will not be reinstated and you will not be able to backdate this change of position.   

Leave will accrue as normal and be unaffected during ASOS.   

Leave is not accrued during full strike action and your balance will be adjusted accordingly.  

If you have pre-booked annual leave this will be paid at your normal rates unless you choose to participate in strike action. Any days that are declared as on strike will be unpaid. Your leave balance will be adjusted accordingly.  

If you are participating in ASOS, and breach your contractual obligations the University reserves the right to withhold your pay.  

Undertaking industrial action constitutes a breach of your contract of employment.  The University will not accept the partial performance of the contract of employment of any member of staff. This means that if you were to decide to take part in strike action, you would consequently not be entitled to your contractual pay for each day you participate in strike action.   

Where a breach of contract does occur, the University reserves the right to withhold 100% of pay, at a daily rate of 1/365th of annual salary.   

 For strike action - Employees will therefore have a full day’s pay deducted at the rate of 1/365th for participation in or not working normally due to strike action.  Please note, that a full day’s pay will be deducted even if you only report your participation in or not working normally due to strike action for part of your normal working day.    

In the case of employees taking part in a salary sacrifice scheme, e.g., childcare vouchers, the full salary of those employees will be considered in calculating the amount of pay to be withheld.  

While the University currently has no plans to withhold pay in relation to ASOS and provided contractual duties are fulfilled not deductions will be made. However, if a breach of contract is made by a member of staff not undertaking contractual duties the University reserves the right to withhold up to 100% of pay. This may be a proportion of pay or 100% at a daily rate of 1/365th.   

Ordinarily deductions for any action taken will take place in the following months payroll, however due to early payroll cut-off for Christmas closure, deductions for November strike days will be made in January 2023.     

The University has considered the impact that a loss of pension benefits would have on staff during strike action.  Whilst the University respects the right of staff to strike, this needs to be balanced against the University’s obligations to its students. The University has carefully considered the position in respect of staff who take strike action and has determined that employee pension contributions will be deducted as normal for these days and the University will maintain the employer contributions to the relevant pension scheme. Therefore, continuous service for pension purposes will be preserved in the first instance.   

Childcare vouchers will be deducted as normal, but if your earnings fall below the Lower Earnings Limit (£533.00 per month), we will remove the salary sacrifice element of the childcare voucher deduction. If you have any concerns about salary sacrifices during this time, please contact payroll@aber.ac.uk    

Those on sick leave immediately before industrial action starts will be assumed to be on sick leave, providing that a doctor’s medical certificate continues to be provided and covers any future days of action.  Your pay will be based on your current sickness entitlement.   

However, each period of sickness absence which commences after you indicate that you are participating in this continuous action must be accompanied by a doctor’s fit note. You would then receive sick pay in accordance with the pay being received at that time. 

This policy will continue to apply as normal during this period of industrial action. 

Yes, this would be a reasonable request.  Should you decline then you would need to report your participation in ASOS within 24 hours of the request to re-schedule being made. 

Yes, if the request is to cover work within an individual’s own work area and there is a previous practice of staff covering for colleagues.  

Yes as long as the employer does not employ temporary agency workers to cover the work of employees.  Managers may ask other staff to provide cover where it is reasonable to do so.