Strike dates set at Edinburgh University in dispute over cuts and job losses

Members of UCU Scotland at the University of Edinburgh will take strike action on Friday 20 June, and then for a further five days* at the start of the new academic year in September.

The dispute is over university senior management's plans to cut £140million from the university's budget and the refusal to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies to cut staff numbers.

Staff will also take part in action short of strike, including working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, not undertaking voluntary activities and a boycott of administrative work related to implementing the cuts.  The union said it was also considering a marking and assessment boycott of students' work as well as members refusing to use personal devices for work purposes, but that, for now, this is being held back in the hope that the university senior management will agree to rule out compulsory redundancies and end the dispute.

The strike dates were announced following a ballot of all members of the union, with 84% of members voting to back strike action.  93% of members voted to back action short of strike.  Both ballots had a turnout of 60%, easily beating the mandate required by trade union legislation.

The union said that the cuts would be the largest ever made by a university in Scotland and argued that the university had failed to make the case for cuts of this size while planning record capital expenditure on buildings and infrastructure.  The union said that, rather than new buildings, the staff who teach students and carry out world-leading research are the backbone of the university and that cutting staff numbers was a false economy. The Edinburgh University principal was questioned today by MSPs on the Scottish Parliament's Education, Children and Young People Committee, where he confirmed that the University is not in deficit.  

Sophia Woodman, UCU Edinburgh university branch president, said: "It's not too late for the principal of the university to stop this strike.  Staff want a sustainable future for the university as much as anybody and we want to work with senior management to end this dispute.  But we're clear that the use of compulsory redundancies is unacceptable.  With the resources and reserves held by the university it can easily afford to rule out sacking staff.  The decision to let the strike continue, with all the disruption to students that it entails and a possible marking and assessment boycott, is a matter of choice for Peter Mathieson and the university senior management.  The union's door is open to talks and I'd appeal to them to heed this final warning, rule out compulsory redundancies and end this unnecessary dispute."

Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: "UCU members at Edinburgh University are ready and willing to strike to save jobs and save this university but disruption can still be avoided.  Edinburgh University is a wealthy university with, at the last count, over £3billion in its reserves.  The Scottish government should follow the lead of Ministers in Wales and call on universities to use their reserves to avoid job losses."

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*UCU members at the University of Edinburgh will be striking on Friday 20 June, to coincide with a university open day; and then on Monday 8, Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 and Friday 12 September to coincide with the university's 'Welcome Week' when students arrive for the new academic year.  Action short of strike will commence from Friday 20 June.