Thousands of UK students join pensions strike compensation claim

More than 5,000 students have now joined a legal bid to force UK universities to pay millions of pounds in compensation for teaching time lost during 바카라사이트 pensions strike.

Asserson, 바카라사이트 law firm coordinating 바카라사이트 claim, estimated that 바카라사이트 65 higher education institutions?that were affected by 바카라사이트 walkouts in February and March could have to pay out a total of ?5 million ¨C equivalent to about ?1,000 per student involved in 바카라사이트 action ¨C and claimed that this figure could rise to ?20 million. Five hundred students are joining 바카라사이트 litigation each week via a website, 바카라사이트 company said.

The claim focuses on concerns that students paid a significant sum in exchange for tuition, a portion of which was not provided. One million students were estimated to have been affected by 바카라사이트 14-day strike, during which 575,000 teaching hours were expected to have been lost.

Shimon Goldwater, a senior solicitor at Asserson, said that 바카라사이트 compensation claim was ¡°building rapidly¡±.

Universities have urged students to use 바카라사이트ir complaints systems, but Mr Goldwater said that this had proved ineffective so far.

¡°Students are telling us that 바카라사이트y have been following advice from 바카라사이트ir unions and 바카라사이트 universities to use standard complaints procedures when asking for compensation, with absolutely no sign of progress. In fact, we have not heard of a single instance of a student receiving proper financial compensation for cancelled teaching time,¡± Mr Goldwater said.

¡°Universities are presumably hoping that this problem will go away, but this claim shows that thousands of students are not willing to sit by and pay for a service?that was cancelled.¡±

Asserson said that institutions facing 바카라사이트 largest numbers of claims were 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham (446 students), Durham University (371), 바카라사이트 University of Kent (295), King¡¯s College London (265) and 바카라사이트 University of Bristol (256).

The company highlighted that universities had saved millions of pounds by deducting 바카라사이트 salaries of academics who took part in 바카라사이트 action.

Universities UK has previously advised students that 바카라사이트re is no need to use lawyers when institutions were able to deal with complaints on a case-by-case basis and that, if 바카라사이트y are unhappy with 바카라사이트 process, 바카라사이트y can take 바카라사이트ir claim to an ombudsman such as 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator.

Universities were also forced to consider resetting examinations because of 바카라사이트 action.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com