A student at the University of Nottingham is asking for compensation for missed contact hours as a result of recent university pension strikes.
Joanna Moss, a 19-year-old philosophy student, claims she would have lost, in total, “almost £700 worth” of lectures and seminars, but claims “for others it is more”.
She is asking for a minimum of £300 back from the University for her and other students affected, saying the strikes will heavily impact her studies, and has launched a petition.
After insisting she stands in solidarity with her lecturers and sympathises with their stance, she added: “Our situation shouldn’t be disrupted because of that. We’ve got international students that are paying £15,000 a year, and they are losing so much.
“We’re going to have to fend for ourselves, it is definitely going to impact me.”
Staff at 64 universities say pension cuts will cost them an average £10,000 a year, but the employers say the scheme has a deficit of more than £6bn.
More than 126,000 students have now signed petitions calling for fee refunds.
Action is currently on hold after weeks of debate and a round of strikes which ended on Friday, March 16.
But the University and College Union has warned it is prepared to announce more strikes if ongoing talks fail.
In response, the University of Nottingham says it’s staying open during the strikes, with most teaching continuing as normal.
It points out that seventy-five per cent of its staff are not members of the union. It’s apologised to students affected and says it’s doing its best to minimise disruption.
