How to claim compensation over the UCU lecturer strikes

Missing out on university because of the UCU strikes? If your classes are disrupted, you could be entitled to a decent amount of compensation.

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After spending eye-watering amounts of money on tuition fees and living costs, many students will be painfully aware of the cost of each class they have missed during the various UCU strikes.

If you're thinking about formally complaining about the strikes, you could well be joined by many others doing the same. In 2019 and 2020, the OIA (the official body for student complaints – more info about them below) received record numbers of complaints, and among them were complaints related to industrial action.

If you're unhappy about the impact of the strikes on your studies, here's how to complain and potentially get compensation.

Why are university lecturers striking?

The industrial action is being led by the University and College Union (UCU). Although a lot of the people striking are academics and lecturers, UCU members also include administrators, computer staff, librarians, postgrads and more.

• Read our in-depth guide to getting compensation from your university

At the affected universities, staff are striking over USS pensions, working conditions and issues regarding pay.

When are the UCU strikes?

There were strikes at 58 universities in the UK between 1st – 3rd December 2021.

On top of the planned strikes, UCU has also said that there will be industrial action short of a strike at 64 universities. This will involve university staff working strictly to their contract and refusing any additional duties. It started on 1st December 2021 and will continue for up to five months.

Which universities are affected by the strikes?

These are the 58 universities where lecturers were on strike between 1st and 3rd December 2021:

Additional universities affected by action short of a strike

On top of the 58 universities listed in the table above, staff at these six universities have a mandate to take action short of a strike:

• Bishop Grosseteste University
• Bournemouth University
• Leeds Trinity University
• Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts
• St Mary's University College Belfast
• University of Winchester.

How to claim compensation over the UCU strikes

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If you decide to complain about the UCU strikes, your first step should be to approach your uni. They may be able to offer you some form of compensation, without you needing to take the complaint any further.

In 2019, a UCU spokesperson said:

Students should [...] be demanding that universities put the huge sums of money they will save from not paying staff during the strike into student-facing activities.

And Jake Butler, Save the Student's student money expert, said:

In 2018, 575,000 teaching hours were lost to strikes, hitting students hard in lost fees, disruption to grades, and stress.

Given the £9,250 a year fees and amount of pressure there is on students to perform well at university, it's more than reasonable to make a claim.

The University of Kent is a good example of a university that's previously paid students compensation over the strikes. In 2020, they offered final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students £50 as a "goodwill gesture".

And, according to The Independent, King's College London refunded a total of over £640,000 to more than 500 students, with the amounts paid to individuals ranging from £122 to £4,500.

In comparison, the same report says that University College London (UCL) only paid out around £6,000 between eight students after they'd complained.

If your university refuses to offer you compensation (or offers you less than you think is fair), you have the option of taking the complaint further. But, the organisation you'd approach next would depend on whereabouts in the UK you're studying.

Ombudsmen for student complaints

If you're in England or Wales and you want to take your complaint beyond the university, you could approach the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA).

In Scotland, you can take complaints to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).

And, in Northern Ireland, it's the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO).

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If the ombudsman thinks your complaint is justified, they will then advise your university on what they should do next (i.e. whether or not they should offer students compensation and how much).

As long as you have a strong enough case, you could be entitled to a pretty sizeable payout. For example, in 2018, the OIA advised one university to give an international student £1,283.75 over the industrial action.

This was because, when the student initially complained about their lost contact hours due to the industrial action, their uni had referenced a 'force majeure' clause in response to the complaint. This clause basically means that, if they face issues outside of their control, they aren't obliged to carry out their contractual promises.

But, as the student hadn't been aware of this clause beforehand, the OIA referenced the consumer protection legislation as a reason the student could be entitled to compensation.

To sum up: if you think you should get compensation over the UCU strikes, approach your uni first to see what they can offer you – then consider taking the complaint further if you're unhappy with their response.

Want more tips on how to complain and get results? Our handy guide will help.