University has paid out £1.7m over disruption

NEWCASTLE University has forked out over £1.7m in compensation to students whose learning was distributed by recent strike action.

- AUSTEN SHAKESPEARE

A freedom of information request (FOI) has revealed that as of June 30 this year, Newcastle University has paid out £1,717,400 to students who saw scheduled teaching missed, disrupted, or not replaced promptly, as a result of walkouts by unionised academics.

In all, the FOI has also revealed there were 2,752 incidents of teaching disturbed by the discontinuous strike which lasted from March 4 to June 27.

On the compensation figure, the FOI goes on to state this is an ongoing process and the final total will not be known until the scheme closes.