Reporting participation in industrial action
An email sent to all staff by Rachel Brealey, Chief Operating Officer, on 14 March.
Dear colleague,
The University and College Union (UCU), has notified the University that they are calling on members to take industrial action.
We do not know which employees are UCU members, therefore we must write to all staff, to ensure eligible staff who choose to participate in the action know what we expect them to do.
Strike action
- UCU has announced that strike action will take place on 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22 March 2023. Action short of strike (ASOS), by UCU, continues until no later than Thursday 20 April 2023 (the end of the current mandate period).
The following information is only directly relevant for staff who are intending to take part in industrial action.
If you take strike action, you are required to report your participation as soon as possible upon your return to work following the strike date via Employee Self Service (ESS) in order that appropriate adjustments to salary can be made.
The University’s position on reporting is in line with UCU’s national guidance and relates to strike action not ASOS.
Colleagues are reminded that the deadline for reporting participation in strike action over the period 15 to 22 March is Thursday 30 March.
If you work part time or a shift pattern, you are asked to confirm the number of hours that you were scheduled to work on the strike participation day(s).
Please report your participation via Employee Self Service (ESS) or by visiting hr.leeds.ac.uk using the Windows Virtual Desktop.
If you work in cleaning services and you do not have access to Employee Self Service, please notify your line manager of your participation and they will report this for you.
One day’s pay will be deducted for each day of participation in strike action. The calculation of one day’s pay will be 1/365th of annual salary for full time employees, and the actual hours contracted for that day for employees who work part time hours or shift patterns.
Deductions will be processed no earlier than the April pay cycle.
There may be impact where salary is deducted due to participation in industrial action, employee and employer pension contributions will not be made, and pensionable service will not accrue.
For technical reasons, I need to make it clear that the withholding of pay is without prejudice to any other right or remedy of the University, including any claim for damages for breach of contract.
More information about why the industrial action is taking place and what is taking place nationally and locally to resolve it can be found on For Staff. If you have further queries, please speak with your manager or head of school or service in the first instance.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Brealey
Chief Operating Officer