We’re not striking as didn’t meet the threshold, but solidarity to colleagues elsewhere. Based on my previous strike experience, I would really like to say, kindly, please consider NOT rushing home from the picket line to work on research. I get it. I really do. BUT

This undermines the strike effort. This also suggests we should do research without getting paid for it (which many of us already do, I’m aware). It focuses on you as an individual researcher and not as a collective.

I didn’t realise this was a controversial opinion until I’d been on a few picket lines but if you’re ‘on strike’ and you’re not in the office but are still writing your book, editing a journal, proofreading an article, visiting an archive then you are ... working from home.

I know we don’t want to miss deadlines. I never want to let anyone down. But collective action involves collective withdrawal of labour.

I was really hesitant to tweet about this but I remembered one of my last strike experiences were I heard colleagues from various institutions talking about going home to work on their book and I felt panicked and guilty. I shouldn’t have felt either of those things.

Of course be sensitive to individual circumstances. But don’t leave your colleagues on the picket line to write. Don’t work when you’re not being paid for it.