Students occupying Senate House leave as Bristol University responds to demands

Demands of students who staged a sit-in the University of Bristol’s senior management offices for three days have been listened to.

After more than 50 hours, widespread media coverage and eventually a meeting with the vice chancellor, the group who occupied Senate House as an act of solidarity with striking lecturers are set to leave the building.

They have been named heroes by people who have been following the action via social media.

The decision to stand down follows a letter sent to students from the university’s vice chancellor Hugh Brady, which states:

“As the current industrial action has continued, I have heard deep concerns from many of you. I believe in the collegiality of our community, and I am committed to protecting this.

“I share your frustration that progress towards a sustainable outcome appears to be no closer.”

With this uncertainty in mind, he committed to two immediate actions:

–          To directly lobby government to address the unfair divergence of the current sector schemes, whereby some are backed by government while USS is not – a key element that impacts on the possible future pension benefits for staff.

–          To write to Universities UK (UUK), endorsing calls for an independent, expert advisory board to bring fresh thinking to the September and November valuation in support of a sustainable solution.

The university had already asked UUK to extend negotiation deadlines before Christmas and to consider ways to change their approach to lowering risk, and says it will continue to do so.

The students confirmed they would leave the building on Wednesday evening

Brady confirmed that the university:

–          Will not dock staff pay for working to contract (the university initially said staff who ‘take action short of a strike’ will have their wages docked by 25 per cent).

–          Will spread any withheld salary deductions over several payroll periods to minimise financial impacts.

–          All salary withheld due to industrial action will be applied to benefit students. This is a commitment that has been made via the Student Experience Committee and has been reiterated in writing to the Student Union.

He added that it is also the university’s intention to engage with University and College Union (UCU) on the specific issues facing hourly paid staff.

In an article written exclusively for Bristol24/7, one of the students occupying the building, Robin Boardman, explained his motivation.

He said: “Our voices must be heard. If we stand by while by our lecturers lose their pensions, or better put, their unpaid wages, we stand to lose sight of the world we wish to create.

“Solidarity and morality must guide our institutions. We can’t lose them and the wonderful people that make them to ill-thought out risk assessments. The ethics against abandoning staff and destroying our environment have been lost in the graphs of profit.

“What have we achieved? As a group we have forced vice chancellor Hugh Brady to the meeting table where we expressed both student and staff concerns.

“These conversations could not have been had on the picket lines or in the rallies. They also would have not have been possible without them. To win, we have brought our agenda to his table.”

In a statement following the agreement by students to stand down, the university said it was pleased they are passionate about engagement on the issue, but disappointed that the group had paraphrased comments that were published on Twitter which it claims “did not accurately reflect the discussion”.

The statement added: “The students involved will not face disciplinary action as a result of this respectful and peaceful occupation.”

Read more: ‘Standing by our lecturers has made me realise just how important our universities are’