SOAS, University of London
INDUSTRIAL ACTION – MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
1.
Introduction
These management guidelines support the School’s Policy for Dealing with Industrial
Action
(available
via
the
School’s
intranet
http://www.soas.ac.uk/hr/procedures/emprel/indaction/ ).
They cover the management arrangements that will be put in place across the
School in the event of industrial action. The Policy and the management guidelines
apply to all the School’s employees and should be read in conjunction with each
other.
In the event of industrial action, the School has to ensure there are lawful, fair and
consistent arrangements in place to ensure that all employees and students at the
School are protected accordingly.
The School recognises the right of its employees to take lawful industrial action.
However, the School’s policy for dealing with industrial action reminds its employees
of the consequences of such action. The School’s managers are therefore
responsible for dealing with the School’s management arrangements where
industrial action is either planned or is taking place.
2.
Management responsibilities
Managers’ responsibilities will vary depending on whether those managers are
Heads of Department, Professional Services Managers, Faculty Administrators,
Deans or members of Executive Board and on what type of industrial action is being
taken.
School managers in areas that may be affected or disrupted by lawful industrial
action, with the support and advice of Human Resources, will be expected to:

Work with Human Resources in carrying out any appropriate
and
reasonable action during a dispute that is required by the School’s Executive
Board to provide timetabled teaching and research work and other
scheduled School business

Be available on the School’s premises during any period of industrial action,
unless there are genuine personal reasons for absence approved in advance
by their appropriate Head of Department or a more senior manager, or
unless they have indicated that they are taking part in the lawful industrial
action themselves
Industrial Action – Management Guidelines Agreed by EB 07.10.13

Be aware of the official movements of each member of their team so as they
can report on any given day how many of their team are either taking part in
industrial action or not

Ensure that all statutory requirements relating to industrial action are
adhered to during the dispute, including the School’s responsibility for health
and safety of its employees and students who remain at the workplace
Once the recognised trade union(s) has informed the School of what lawful types of
action it intends to take (strike action, action short of a strike or a combination of both)
the School will post a communication to all staff via the SOAS e-News Bulletin in
accordance with Appendix 1 of the Policy for Dealing with Industrial Action. This
communication will invite employees to confirm if they are intending to take part in
the official industrial action.
In the same News Bulletin, the School will provide employees a link to the School’s
Policy for Dealing with Industrial Action which contains the Code of Practice for
SOAS Employees.
3.
Industrial Action: Code of Practice for SOAS employees
This is available separately within the Policy for Dealing with Industrial Action
(School intranet http://www.soas.ac.uk/hr/procedures/emprel/indaction /). The Code
sets out the School’s response to industrial action including issues such as staff
conduct and picketing. Employment contractual issues such as the handling of pay,
superannuation, annual leave and other absences are set out verbatim at paragraph
4.
4.
Contractual requirements
4.1
Annual Leave
The School policy is not normally to allow requests for annual leave on strike days
(once they are known). However, where School employees have previously booked
annual leave during a period of industrial action, this will continue to be honoured
and normal payment will be made.
No retrospective booking of annual leave can be made during or following industrial
action.
4.2
Other absences besides annual leave and sickness absence
Where, previously to any strike days being announced, School employees have
agreed with their line manager a School business-related official absence on a strike
day, this will continue to be honoured and normal payment will be made. School
business-related absences might include Academics attending School businessrelated conferences; supervising a research or educational field trip; working from
home; or paid Sabbatical leave.
Industrial Action – Management Guidelines Agreed by EB 07.10.13
However, no retrospective booking of School business-related absences to coincide
with strike days can be made during or following industrial action.
4.3
Sickness absence
Where a School employee is off sick on a strike day(s), normal sickness payments
will not be made unless the employee provides a medical certificate to cover the
sickness absence on the strike day(s). Payment will only be reinstated from the date
of receipt of written notice of an employee’s withdrawal of industrial action.
No retrospective claims of sickness absence will be permitted.
4.4
Conduct
Any School employee who breaks the law and/or the Schools Code of Conduct
whilst participating in industrial action will be in breach of their contract and as such
may be subject to the School’s Disciplinary Procedure.
At the end of industrial action, School employees will not harass, intimidate, abuse or
show less favourable treatment to other employees on the grounds that they did or
did not participate in strike action. Any examples of such will be treated seriously and
dealt with in accordance with existing policies and procedures (e.g. Disciplinary
Policy, Grievance procedures and anti-harassment and bullying policy).
5.
Maintaining Essential School Business
School employees who choose not to take part in industrial action will be expected to
undertake their normal duties.
In order to maintain essential School business, managers may request those team
members to undertake duties outside of their normal job description and/or be
moved to another School building location. In such cases, managers must ensure
those School employees will not be put at any risk to their health and safety.
6.
Advice and support
Where managers feel they require extra guidance on issues relating to their
responsibilities during industrial action, they should contact their appropriate HR
Manager to access the various advice and support services available.





Martine Baraket. Ext 4065. Email: Mb81@soas.ac.uk
Seema Sanyal. Ext 4911. Email: ss120@soas.ac.uk
Brenda Lett. Ext 4847. Email: bl25@soas.ac.uk
Emily Crofts (Tuesdays & Thursdays). Ext 4240 Email: ec10@soas.ac.uk
Chris Byrne. Ext 5122. Email: cb76@soas.ac.uk
HR Directorate
SOAS
September 2013
Industrial Action – Management Guidelines Agreed by EB 07.10.13