Staff back further industrial action at Edinburgh University

Staff at the University of Edinburgh have backed strike action in the coming year in a ballot over £140million cuts, up to 1,800 job losses, hidden redundancies and meaningful consultation with trade unions.

In the ballot of UCU Scotland members at the university, 88% voted to back strike action with a turnout of 55%.  94% of those voting also voted to back action short of strike which could include working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and the possibility of a marking and assessment boycott.

The ballot and new mandate follow on from a dispute which has so far seen multiple days of strike action taken as a result of management refusing to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies.  Staff at the university are striking this week.  The new dispute and mandate mean that the university is likely to face continued industrial action over the next year unless management take steps to resolve the dispute.  Employment law has changed meaning that the mandate now lasts for 12 months rather than the previous six.

The £140million cuts and job losses - the union estimates cuts of up to 1,800 staff - are the largest ever in a Scottish university.  The university is one of the wealthiest and most prestigious in the country and earlier this year confirmed that they are not in deficit.

Sophia Woodman, president of the UCU Edinburgh branch, said: "Over a year since the announcement of cuts and job losses, and with staff having taken over 10 days of action this result shows how resolute members are about saving jobs and opposing management's brutal cuts.  The action taken so far has saved jobs, and this result and possibility of a further year of disruption should be a wake-up call to the principal to engage meaningfully and find a resolution to this dispute."

Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: "This new mandate means there could now be a further year of disruption at Edinburgh if management won't work with us to resolve this dispute.  Having failed to do so since announcing these cuts 13 months ago, it now needs to engage meaningfully with members and rule out compulsory redundancies."