This letter is a template for you to use if you would like to write to your Vice Chancellor or other university leader concerning the UCU strikes. It is intended to help you make your voice heard on the issue, showing that you are supportive of UCU in their actions, but you want the dispute to be resolved by the employers returning to negotiations.

 

Dear Vice Chancellor,

 

I am writing to you as a student at York St John University to express my views on the ongoing UCU strikes.

 

I believe that everyone deserves fair pay and working conditions and was shocked to find that staff pay has declined by 29% in the since 2009. Similarly, I was unhappy to read that universities in the UK continue to perpetuate a mean gender pay gap of 16% and our university’s mean gap is 4.9% and our median is 12.1%. This is made worse in light of the fact that the national pay gap between Black and white staff stands at 17% and the disability pay gap is 9%.

 

With staff worried about their workload, and stress related to their workloads, it is no surprise that there is a mental health crisis amongst both staff and students in our universities. This means our lecturers taking more time off due to stress, and less consistent teaching for us. Similarly, because many of our staff are on hourly-paid, fixed-term, and casual contracts, this means that they aren’t here for long enough to be able to invest in our university and our teaching.

 

As universities, we should be in the lead to be equitable institutions, where everyone can work, learn and study to their highest ability – but conditions like these only set us back.

 

I fully support UCU in their strike action and their reasons for striking, however it is for the good of everyone if the problems that have caused this dispute are reconciled as quickly as possible. This means that you should use the influence you have to publicly support UCU’s asks for better working conditions, especially to bring pay back in line with inflation (RPI+2% / 12%) and join with other university executives to negotiate a fair deal for staff. If we do not take action soon, then working in higher education will become unsustainable for staff, and students will miss out of the talented educators and support staff who do so much to make our experiences the best they can be.

 

Yours faithfully,

[your name]