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Original poster

Striker pay?

48 replies

query46 · 28/02/2018 12:23

My DH is a university lecturer. He is not in the union as he never got round to joining.

With the recent strikes, he rearranged his lectures and student contact hours so they took place during non-strike days.

He went into the uni on a strike day to do some urgent work but very early in the morning before the picket line had appeared

Please could someone advise me about whether he will get paid and if not being in the union affects things?

OP posts:
IsDaveThere · 28/02/2018 12:44

If he was striking then no, he won't get paid for those days. I'm a bit confused as to whether he actually was on strike or not though?

Anythingforacatslife · 28/02/2018 12:58

If he’s not on strike he should have had some information from his employers about what to do so that he is recorded as being at work. We have to specifically sign a register to say we’re at work and that gets sent to payroll.

Original poster
query46 · 28/02/2018 12:58

I guess what I’m asking is exactly that as it’s not clear! He did all his work that week and was in one strike day. Who determines who was on strike?

OP posts:
Original poster
query46 · 28/02/2018 12:59

Oh he’s had no communication from HR or anything about a register or anything like that

OP posts:
Anythingforacatslife · 28/02/2018 13:01

The employer decides who’s on strike by looking at their ‘register’. If he was due to be in work that day and wasn’t then they will mark it as being on strike. He really shouldn’t have rearranged his contact hours, although I understand why he did. He needs to check with the bosses about making sure he was recorded as being at work.

PlanNumber · 28/02/2018 13:11

If he wasn't in work because of the strike then he was striking, unless he specifically agreed with his employer in advance that he should rearrange his work for that day.

By not being at work on the day he was effectively supporting the strike.

Candlelights · 28/02/2018 13:16

Most universities don't have registers of which staff are in each day - as academics tend to keep loose office hours and may work from home, have meetings, etc and manage their own diaries. So the universities generally ask staff to tell them if they're striking.

If your DH told his students he was rearranging lectures because he was striking he's on thin ice to claim he wasn't. But if he gave some other reason I think he can say he wasn't striking, just arranging his own workload, which is normal enough.

If he was trying to strike he's missed the point really by rearranging his lectures!

SeniorRita · 28/02/2018 13:20

Employers are usually very clear on this, even calling in sick you would go down as on strike, and definitely rearranging your work to accommodate the strike is effectively the same as being on strike unless he agreed this up front and it was due to lack of other support, lack of other lectures that day etc.

CotswoldStrife · 28/02/2018 13:25

Unis have been know to ask in advance for academics to declare if they will strike or not - are you sure he's not had some kind of communication about this?

TheTurnOfTheScrew · 28/02/2018 13:33

in my workplace, when a strike date is confirmed, the employers announce that they will no longer authorise any leave on that day, including swapping stuff to change your non-working day or ad hoc working from home. Any sick leave is required to be supported by a sick note. attendance is normally recorded on the day, even though we're not normally required to clock in or register in any way.

flowery · 28/02/2018 13:38

If his employer allowed him to rearrange things on the basis that he wasn’t striking then he’ll get paid.

It does sound a bit like he wants to have his cake and eat it really- he doesn’t want to work on strike days but wants to make sure he’ll still get paid. Not quite in the spirit of it really!

Surely if he wanted his employer to be clear that he wasn’t striking, his best option was to come to work as normal?

Appuskidu · 28/02/2018 13:43

Was he striking or not?! Why did he rearrange his lectures if he wasn’t?

ourkidmolly · 28/02/2018 13:45

I'm not clear from your post. Does he support the strike or not? Does he want payment? I think by arranging his tutorials secretly he's tacitly supporting as he's not working on the actual day.

Viviennemary · 28/02/2018 13:48

It's very sneaky re-arranging classes to avoid strike days and same with going in early to avoid picket lines.

MySockIsWetAgain · 28/02/2018 13:48

He will be asked whether he had been on strike or no, and pay calculated from there.

If he hadn't been on strikeand gets paid, he could donate his pay to the union hardship fund (even as a non-member).

Original poster
query46 · 28/02/2018 13:59

Maybe they will ask staff who was on strike and who wasn’t. I don’t think it’s sneaky to rearrange lectures - he wants to support the strike but his students are angry at missing content.

He went into work before the picket line to help a student who had severe mental health problems and was at risk, which I think is the right think to do.

OP posts:
Original poster
query46 · 28/02/2018 14:00

And there are no set working hours aside from set lectures, he works from home eves and weekends and off site at meetings orhertimes so I don’t know who would know where anyone is.

OP posts:
flowery · 28/02/2018 14:01

"I don’t think it’s sneaky to rearrange lectures - he wants to support the strike but his students are angry at missing content."

Surely the same is true of all lecturers though? Those who are striking will have angry students and will lose pay. Those who aren't striking will have happy students and will be paid but won't be supporting the strike.

Viviennemary · 28/02/2018 14:05

People either support the strike by going on strike and not working on their set days and losing pay or they don't support the strike and work on the days and get paid. This wanting to keep your cake and eat it is absolutely not on IMHO.

flowery · 28/02/2018 14:07

If he doesn’t want to strike, that’s fine- he’s not a union member. But own that decision, don’t hide it.

Viviennemary · 28/02/2018 14:10

Re-arranging your work to make sure you avoid strike days is certainly not the same as being on strike.

HolyShet · 28/02/2018 14:16

DH is at a newer university so when they were striking last year they all got an email asking them to confirm if they were striking, or not.

Which I found amusing.

I think you are saying he was on strike, tbh. And therefore shouldn't be paid.

Original poster
query46 · 28/02/2018 14:18

Is staff do get an email asking if they were striking, what would happen if no one replies?

OP posts:
PlanNumber · 28/02/2018 14:24

So he'you think that he should be able to give the outward impression that he supported the strike without taking the financial penalty. Nice try.

If he needed to go in to support the student with MH issues, why not explain that the the picket line, or was the student also in before the picket line? strange late -sleeping pickets

LisaSimpsonsbff · 28/02/2018 14:26

I agree with other people that what he's done isn't really on - but what he's done is also quite dangerous for him. If you strike while not a union member then you're not striking at all, you're just having unauthorised absences. You can join the union and strike that same day, but if you're not a union member then you're not at all protected from the consequences of the fact you've essentially just chosen not to turn up for work.

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