Industrial action represents a challenging situation for all parties concerned. It is not entered lightly on either side of the debate, and staff and student communities and leadership teams up and down the country, including here at Bristol, will be navigating the impacts of the current strike over the coming days.
I have said several times over the previous weeks that I respect the right of my colleagues to act where they feel they have no other option to protect their current and future interests. This is an important right and one I stand by; our sector is experiencing a range of significant pressures and changes, and many of these are felt strongly and directly by our workforce, who are vital to our success as individual institutions and to the quality of higher education we provide nationally.
I am proud of the continuing hard-work and commitment of my colleagues as we develop our teaching, research and civic influence together at Bristol. As we are together in the successes, so we are in the challenging period we currently find ourselves in.
I have spent parts of this week speaking to colleagues on the UCU picket line. Many of these colleagues I know from their excellent work in our teaching, research and student support activities and the professional services which underpin them. I value the honest conversations we have had and will continue to consider the opinions and challenges being expressed. I will feed these back to my team and to the negotiating table and look for ways to support the ongoing discussions.
So here we are with the Vice-chancellor of @BristolUni Hugh Brady on the picket line!
What a change from last time.
We look forward to your continuing support Hugh. pic.twitter.com/zXgzGCWUjV— Matthew Brown (@mateobrown) November 25, 2019
One of my priorities is of course protecting the education of our students. I’m very aware of the uncertainty these situations can create, both for our young people and for their parents. We have introduced a range of measures, re-directed resources and bolstered key services to support our students during this period, both in terms of their academic studies and for their wellbeing.
I’m also aware that with the absence of some colleagues, our remaining staff are carrying on with their work as usual, working hard to keep the activities in our faculties, schools and professional and support services on track. We are all grateful for your support.
We will continue to navigate the uncertainty together in the coming weeks as best we can, continuing constructive dialogue with UCU and working hard to minimise the impact of the strikes on our community.