Marking and assessment boycott to start at Edinburgh University this week

University and College Union (UCU) members at the University of Edinburgh will begin a marking and assessment boycott at the end of this week (Friday) as part of a dispute over £140million cuts, up to 1,800 job cuts, hidden redundancies and the lack of meaningful consultation. 

The marking and assessment boycott will cover all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, and in-person.  The boycott will also cover assessment-related work such as exam invigilation and the administrative processing of marks.  Previous marking and assessment boycotts, most recently in 2023, impacted on graduations.

The decision to move to a boycott was backed in a vote by UCU members at the university after management repeatedly failed to rule out using compulsory redundancies despite multiple days of strike action, most recently earlier this month.  Members also backed industrial action over the coming year, with 88% voting for more strikes.  The union said that the vote showed that members' determination to defend jobs and protect the future of the university was undiminished.

In response to the calling of the boycott, the university principal, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, last week announced that he will withhold 100% pay from anyone participating in the lawful action short of strike.  The union said this move was out of proportion and punitive.

Edinburgh UCU branch president, Sophia Woodman, said: "No-one wants to take part in a marking boycott but we've been forced into this by the inaction and unwillingness of management to resolve this dispute.  Edinburgh university, a charity, is one of the richest universities in the UK.  No charity should be sitting on savings of billions while cutting the staff who deliver their core purpose; in Edinburgh's case conducting world leading research and teaching students.  Elsewhere in the UK, government ministers have called on universities to use their reserves to save jobs but in Scotland the government has been silent on this.  With the election in a matter of days, we're calling on the next government to join with staff and students and call on senior management to rule out compulsory redundancies and use the university's reserves to mitigate these cuts.

"Management are taking an increasingly hard line by punitively deducting full pay from staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott.  They've said staff are not obliged to work if they are not being paid, so what will happen to students expecting supervision over the coming months, and other essential work?  We hope their attitude will change, and that staff can go back to supporting students' learning as normal. The ball is in management's court."

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "Earlier this month members at Edinburgh again voted overwhelmingly to defend jobs and to take action against compulsory redundancies.  The fact that management have let this dispute roll on for 13 months is shameful.  Peter Mathieson could end this dispute tomorrow if he wanted but instead he's prepared to let students suffer rather than rule out compulsory redundancies and address the union's other key demands."