Colleague on strike- do I cover her work?

[Fournickate]

I'm after a bit of advice, please. I don't know much about the rules around UK strikes as I'm from abroad. I don't want to do the wrong thing.

I'm an academic. One of my colleagues teaches workshops on a module I run. She's in the union. I'm not.

The union have announced strike days coming soon. The days of the strike coincide with days she's meant to be teaching for me.

What should I do?

Do I cover her classes? But this means no disruption, which I thought was the whole point of a strike.

Do I not cover her classes? But could I then be in trouble with the university because the students were left without a teacher even though I was technically available to cover?

Don't want to make a faux pas here or break any rules.

Thank you for any advice you may give

I have posted this too in Academics Corner, sorry for the duplication but I really need an answer quite soon.
Thank you

I think you need to join a union for legal protection. My fees are approx £12 per month.

Join the union and get involved if you don’t agree with their position. Unions are their members. If they’re not acting in everyone’s interests, hold them to account though their AGM, your local reps etc.

Join the union and get involved if you don’t agree with their position

Well there was a whole other thread about that were names like 'scab' 'freeloader' and 'traitor' were thrown around. If you care to not agree with the union, whether you were a member or not.

I am in education. I have worked on strike days, when my union has not voted to strike. No one has ever called me scab. There was no actually physical protest

Thank you for all comments on this.

I've been in touch with HR and it's fine for me not to cover her classes even though they were (are) technically my classes in the first place.

I guess this will mean me crossing picket lines but I have no legal protection if I don't go to work because I'm not in the Union. Well, maybe awkward but fine.

I'm not in the Union because the fees are £25 per month, which I can't afford. I don't agree with some of their policies but I am in a minority here and my opinions aren't ones you could easily bring up in an AGM.

but I have no legal protection if I don't go to work because I'm not in the Union.

Sorry but whoever told you that is wrong.

www.gov.uk/industrial-action-strikes/your-employment-rights-during-industrial-action

Scroll to the bottom here

At the end of the day employers might not even know who is in the union. When I was in a union I never paid my subs off my wages and never discussed it with my employer. They wouldn’t know unless I told them.