On Monday 3rd October, Lancaster University confirmed that staff belonging to Lancaster College and University Union (UCU) would be taking “action short of strike” (ASOS)
This was set to begin on Monday 10th October and will last until April 2026 at the latest.
The university and union both confirmed the membership decision to take strike action, but it remains unclear as to when the strikes will occur.
You may be confused as to what ASOS actually means, and when the accompanying definition is that members will only engage in “work strictly to the terms of their contract” things at Lancaster aren’t much clearer.
So, here’s a full breakdown of what action short of a strike really is, and how students and the university will be affected by it.
UCU membership
Whilst it is confidential as to how many staff members are a part of Lancaster UCU, the UCU website grants membership to UK university staff who are:
- Academics
- Lecturers
- Trainers
- Instructors
- Researchers
- Administrators and managers
- Computer staff
- Librarians
- Postgraduates (in an employed role)
Working to contract
The UCU website defines working to the terms of contracts as “being very strict in working exactly to the minimum required by your own contract”.
This means that lecturers will not start work earlier or finish later than the hours outlined in their contract (hours can vary depending on the lecturer). Members are advised to take their full lunch break and contract-allowed breaks every day.
As well as this, members are being instructed not to check or respond to emails outside of work hours.
Refusal of voluntary activities
The UCU website defines voluntary activities as anything “which does not form part of your formal roles and responsibilities”.
This can include but is not limited to:
- Voluntary meetings that members are not contracted to attend
- Undertaking support work on a voluntary basis
- Completing surveys or questionnaires
- Volunteering at open days
- Attendance of meetings outside of working hours or that fall within a lunch hour
For example, if a non-union staff member has cancelled a lecture or seminar due to illness, Lancaster UCU members should refuse any request to cover for the absent member of staff.
Uploaded material
This section advises that members can lawfully refuse to upload material for education sessions that may be cancelled due to strikes.
The website recognises that removal of existing material that could be related to strike-cancelled sessions can be taken down, dependent on the ownership of the material. However, this possession is relative to members’ contracts.
Marking and assessment boycotts
Marking and assessment boycotts are dependent upon whether one is called, which Lancaster remains unclear on at this time.
The UCU website says that if a boycott is to be called, members’ roles which “involve administration relating to marking and assessment can refuse to undertake that work as part of the action”.
This may include, but is not limited to, the preparation of exam board materials and allocation of marking or moderation duties.
Future education
Strike action has been called but no date has been established yet. Not all staff members are members of Lancaster UCU, and it may be the case that some UCU members choose not to participate in ASOS.
With regards to timetabled sessions and deadlines, Lancaster University said on its website: “Unless you are contacted directly by your department and told otherwise, please assume that any timetabled classes, exams and assessments will continue as scheduled.”
The university added: “If there are changes to any services, we’ll work with the teams who provide them to keep you informed.”
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