Lecturers who strike may have to pay students for lost tuition

TWO universities have warned lecturers that if they go on strike they will be partly responsible for student failures and could face legal action.

Staff at both University of Reading and City University, London, have been told that any individuals taking part in industrial action, due to start on Thursday, could be liable for damages if students sue for breach of contract. The threats were likened to “bullying” by the University and College Union.

Teaching staff at more than 60 universities are due to begin a wave of walkouts if a bitter dispute over pensions is not resolved.

Ahead of the walkout, lecturers have also indicated they are planning a further round of strikes lasting as long as five months, going into the summer term in one of the biggest industrial actions in modern times. The action will result in cancelled lectures, tutorials and seminars, which could have a significant impact on students who pay £9,000 annual tuition fees.

Already, thousands of students have called for compensation for the loss of teaching hours from the strikes.

Almost 1,000 students at City have signed a petition demanding they be refunded more than £1,000 each if their studies are affected.

The university emailed staff a warning that if their participation in strike action results in a legal claim they may be held liable. It said: “Individuals choosing to take part in this industrial action will need to be aware that City reserves the right to join an individual member of staff as a party to any claims for damages made against City that have arisen as a result of non-performance of their duties, for example, claims from students. As a result, that member of staff may be personally liable for any damages awarded in those claims.”

Staff at Reading have been warned their pay could be cut and that they too could be joined as a party to any claim for breach of contract brought against the university as a result of the action.