STUDENTS at a London university say they are being punished for joining a rent strike after management backtracked on giving them refunds. 

Campaigners say that Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is now withholding refunds in a bid to crack down on rent strikes as a form of protest among students. 

Earlier this year, more than 350 students at the east London university went on strike in order to win compensation for unused university accommodation during the Covid crisis.

The action was called off on May 16 after campaigners secured rent discounts of up to £2,500 for students in halls as well as other measures and students were given a deadline of May 25 to resume paying their rent. 

But now the university has backtracked on refunding strikers, despite initial promises that no penalties would occur as a result of the rent strike, campaigners say. 

QMUL Rent Strike said: “The university is picking and choosing who to give discounts to, which has severely impacted the wellbeing and financial situations of students.”

The group said: “QMUL Rent Strike and Rent Strike Now are mobilising against these measures and demanding that QMUL not financially punish students for exercising their right to
protest.”

Thousands of students took part in rent strikes at universities across the country earlier this year amid growing frustration at being forced to fork out huge fees for accommodation and tuition  for limited face-to-face teaching and empty rooms. 

A university spokesperson said: “In response to the national lockdown in January, Queen Mary offered all students in university accommodation a 30 per cent reduction on the remaining two terms of their rent agreement.

“Following the government’s decision not to allow all students to return to on-campus education in March, we offered a further £1,000 reduction in rent to students who were unable to return.

“Both rent reduction schemes had application deadlines, and we were as flexible as possible with students in our residences wishing to apply for the schemes at the time. The schemes have now both been closed for some time.”