Possible strikes at Aberdeen University as staff back industrial action

The ballot of University and College Union (UCU) Scotland members at the university, saw 83% of those voting back strike action on a turnout of 60%. 90% also said they would take part in action short of strike. This can include working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, or not undertaking voluntary activities. UCU members at Aberdeen will now decide the next steps in the dispute.

The dispute follows university management pursuing plans to make cuts to budgets, and their refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies despite over 40 staff having left the university taking voluntary severance or retiring. The union said that management's 'Adapting for Continuing Success' plan was nothing of the sort and that job cuts would threaten the student experience and the university's strength in research. Academic staff are also facing an ongoing freeze on academic promotions. The union said that the employer has so far not engaged in any meaningful way with them over the plans but that they remained open to discussions to resolve the dispute.

The cuts come less than two years since the last dispute. In Spring 2024 strikes were pulled at the last minute when management backed down on plans to use compulsory redundancies in the university's modern languages department.

Dan Cutts, Aberdeen UCU branch co-chair, said: 'Once again members of the union at Aberdeen have shown that they're willing to stand up to job cuts and will take action to stop people being forced out. This clear vote shows the strength of feeling among staff and that we see management's plans for what they are; a threat to the student experience, to the workforce and to the breadth of research carried out at the University. There's still time for our new principal to show that he wants to work with staff and the unions, and rule out the use of compulsory redundancies to resolve this dispute. The union is ready to negotiate, but we need management to engage and work with UCU to save jobs.'

Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: 'It's unbelievable that management at Aberdeen are again trying to force staff from their jobs and refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies. To be back in this position just two years after they were last forced to back down shows that they haven't learnt the lesson. The new principal, Professor Edwards, should sit down with the unions and rule out the use of compulsory redundancies before it's too late and this dispute escalates further.'