Colin Shipp, Director of Human Resources, wrote to all staff on 9 August. You can read the full text of his email below.
Dear Colleague,
UNISON has announced two days of strike action taking place on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 August 2023.
Sussex is one of 22 universities where UNISON members have voted in favour of industrial action over the New JNCHES Higher Education 2023-24 pay offer of 5-8%.
We recognise that no one decides to take industrial action lightly and we respect people’s right to strike. We are aware that in these financially challenging times, pay is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Last year, in response to the cost of living crisis, the University provided a £6.6m support package for staff and students. We have provided this despite the financial uncertainty, driven by the unprecedented rising costs impacting employers, Higher Education funding uncertainties, and sizeable increases in employers’ pension contributions.
We remain committed to working collaboratively with you all to become an employer of choice and to improve our employment practices and working conditions for all staff. We are keen to continue to work with our three recognised campus trade unions, Unite, UNISON and UCU to achieve this.
What do I need to do if I am taking part in the strike action?
You must complete the University’s electronic declaration form to confirm the date(s) on which you took strike action by Friday 25 August 2023. The form will be available via the industrial action webpages shortly.
Where can I find more information?
Please see the University’s FAQs on industrial action.
Kind regards,
Colin Shipp
Director of HR