Edinburgh University staff vote for strikes over 'unprecedented' job cuts as marking boycott threat revealed

Staff at the University of Edinburgh have backed strike action as a dispute over budget cuts and job losses continues.

In the ballot of University and College Union (UCU) Scotland members, 84 per cent of those who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 60 per cent.

Old College at the University of Edinburgh | PA

Some 93 per cent of members voting said they would also be willing to take part in action short of strikes, which could include working to contract, and not covering for absent colleagues or undertaking voluntary activities.

A marking and assessment boycott could also be one of the possible forms of action short of a strike, the UCU said.

The scale of Edinburgh University cuts

University principal Professor Sir Peter Mathieson announced earlier this year that £140 million would be cut from the budget to plug a financial black hole. He later announced around 350 staff had accepted voluntary redundancy.

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The union said university management had repeatedly refused to rule out compulsory redundancies. It said the scale of the cuts at Edinburgh was “unprecedented” as it accused university bosses of trying to downgrade and “commercialise” the institution.

UCU Scotland rally at the Scottish Parliament against threatened job cuts and demanding a fair budget for higher education | Lisa Ferguson

The union’s position

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Edinburgh University is hugely respected with a hard-won reputation for academic excellence. The principal now needs to heed the repeated warnings given by staff and reverse these cuts, or he’s going to go down as the man who took a wrecking ball to the university’s 500-year history and left it in a worse state than when he was appointed.”

Branch president Sophia Woodman added: “This vote is a clear message from members to university management that they need to think again.

“The ballot result is a mandate for industrial action, and to oppose job cuts and the use of compulsory redundancies.

“We want to work with senior management to build a sustainable future, but we need compulsory redundancies to be taken off the table and for there to be an honest discussion about why management are proposing job cuts and projecting deficits while, at the same time, increasing spending on new buildings.

“Staff are angry and ready to fight to defend the future of teaching and research at Edinburgh, which are currently at risk from these damaging proposals.”

Edinburgh University’s response

Prof Mathieson said: “We have been transparent about the savings urgently needed to secure our financial footing, with forecasts showing that we will be in deficit from the next financial year should we not act now.

“Failure to take preventative steps would leave us in an unsustainable situation, requiring deeper savings.

“We respect colleagues’ right to take part in industrial action and will do all we can to minimise disruption to students should this take place. We will also continue to work with our joint trade unions as plans develop to deliver these savings.”

Prof Mathieson has previously warned more positions could be potentially cut outside of the already-announced voluntary redundancies. The university employs more than 15,000 staff.