500 signatures reached
To: University of Reading, UoR students, BBC Berkshire
University of Reading RENT STRIKE
Our demands:
- 30% reduction on rent for student accomodation commencing in January 2021.
- Changes made to tenancy agreements, whereby students having gone home due to the pandemic are not required to pay rent.
- No disciplinary action against students participating in the rent strike.
Why is this important?
We are requesting a 30% reduction on our annual rent in all halls at the University of Reading, commencing in January.
Living in halls facilitates access to the university resources & associated activities, however, unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic almost all aspects of university life have been curtailed to some extent. Despite the reduction in services, access to resources and other activities students are still paying fully for relocation and the cost of halls. The university told students that they would receive 'blended learning' whereby the teaching and content are accessible both online and in person. Many students feel that this 'blended learning' is not truly 'blended' as the majority of many courses remain exclusively online. As most of the teaching is online, it seems pointless to have moved to the university when we could have stayed home and received the same remote teaching as we do whilst unnecessarily living in halls. This is not the university's fault, we are in the midst of an unpredictable global pandemic, however it is the university's responsibility to listen and respond to their students' grievances. A reduction on rent means that the university recognises that living in halls in not benefiting our studies, in the same way we would under normal circumstances.
We would like for all students participating in this rent strike to be free from disciplinary action, on the grounds that this strike is peaceful, we simply want to see change and want to work alongside the university to make this possible. Allyship is key, so we are not fighting the university, we are asking to discuss rent and make changes where necessary.
Additionally, we would like to discuss changes in regard to the terms of the tenancy agreements. Students studying remotely, away from university, should not have to pay rent for a place they are not living in. Many students returned home for the second lockdown and practiced online learning, yet they were required to pay rent for a place they are not currently living in.
Please sign this petition if you plan on striking in January, it is important that as many students as possible sign this because the more students involved, the more likely the university is to negotiate changes with us.
Thank you all and let us make change happen together!!
