There has just been a fortnight's strike action and picketing, which ended a week ago, last Friday. Some colleagues have been on strike for two whole weeks. It's caused unrest with others, unfortunately, even those in the union who have been taking ASOS - not buying clothes on line, but working to rule for those who aren't in the know.
Well it will cause problems, of course, that is the aim. Maximum disruption. Pickets have been largely friendly except for one man harassing junior colleagues to go home and watch daytime TV.
It's caused some ill-feeling in a faculty meeting yesterday when two people in fairly senior roles were there who'd just had two weeks off on strike. Several things hadn't happened because, as just one example, an email was sent to one of those people to ask one of her team to take a session next week, which that person is anxious about because of having to juggle other commitments and the short notice of time to prepare. Instead of asking him direct they asked his manager to ask him, but she was on strike. It's now dropped in his lap and he's firefighting.
There's also annoyance that these two employees are held in high regard and whispers are on the lines of "they abdicate responsibility and still come up stinking of roses". I hate office politics and keep out of it as much as I can but I am a member of the union and I support action against, for example, casualisation and the gender pay gap, as well as pensions. I choose ASOS, refusing to cover work and taking allotted breaks without guilt.
Anyone else affected like this because of strikes at work?