The Education Committee has launched a new inquiry to investigate the impact that this year’s industrial action by university staff had on students.
University and College Union (UCU) members at 150 UK universities went on strike between February and March 2023 over pay, working conditions and pensions. This was followed by a boycott of marking and assessing students’ work between April and September, which led to delays in students receiving their degrees, being able to graduate and move on to employment or post-graduate study.
UCU members took the coordinated action to boycott marking and assessments due to disputes over their pay and conditions including gender and minority ethnic pay gaps, staff workload and the casualisation across the sector.
The cross-party Committee’s inquiry will focus on how students have been impacted by various forms of industrial action in recent years, with particular focus on the marking and assessment boycott.
