On Tuesday 11 July, students attended a protest in Bristo Square calling on the University of Edinburgh to negotiate with and meet the demands of the University and College Union (UCU).
Videos circulated on Twitter of an Edinburgh College of Art graduation on the same day showing students expressing their solidarity with the UCU, with students chanting “pay your workers”.
PAY YOUR WORKERS
— Staff-Student Solidarity Network Edinburgh (@sssn_edi) July 11, 2023
This amazing video from the ECA graduations today show that students know what needs to be done to solve this dispute pic.twitter.com/OjRBg3Kp57
The protests come in response to many students graduating without degree classifications due to the ongoing UCU marking and assessment boycott.
Among the protesters were members of the Edinburgh Staff Student Solidarity Network, which in a statement to The Student said: “The protest today along with the actions graduating students have taken last week and this, clearly show the sentiment among the student body.
“We want change to higher education, we want the industry to find a sustainable way of providing education and facilitating research which doesn’t drive staff and students into the ground.”
The statement continued: “Despite senior management being eager to paint themselves as helpless in a national dispute, a university like Edinburgh is a massive player nationally and a well respected institution.
“They absolutely have influence in the national dispute and they should be using that to call for UCEA to agree to the UCU’s demands”.
READ MORE: The Gaudie: UCEA chair, UoA principal wanted staff to ‘feel pain along the way’ in UCU boycott
Speaking in support of the protest, UCU Edinburgh branch co-presidents Sophia Woodman and Cat Wayland told The Student: “Tuesday’s protest sent a clear message to the university that students are frustrated and angry at senior management’s failures to act to resolve the dispute”.
They continued: “The support from students at the University of Edinburgh for staff in the Marking and Assessment Boycott is both heartening and humbling.
“Their brave action is an important reminder that the university has a responsibility to its students to do its part in putting pressure on UCEA to re-enter negotiations without preconditions and settle the dispute”.
UCU Scotland expressed their support for the protest in a post on Twitter which thanked the students for their role in calling on the university to meet their demands.
“FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, STUDENTS BACK THE UCU!
— UCU Scotland (@UCUScotland) July 11, 2023
FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, RENEGOTIATE!”
Thank you so much to students at @EdinburghUni and across Scotland for your steadfast support in our dispute. It makes all the difference!#ucuRISING pic.twitter.com/Wkf3OXAviW
Responding to the protest, a spokesperson for the university said: “We are acutely aware that delays associated with the boycott are a major source of anxiety for our students, and we are deeply sorry about the continued uncertainty they face over their futures
“We support the right of our students to demonstrate lawfully and peacefully.
“We are disappointed, however, that a disturbance during yesterday’s ceremony briefly disrupted proceedings for the many students who came to celebrate their achievements with their families and supporters.”
In a statement to students and staff, Sir Peter Mathieson said talks would recommence on 14 July, continuing to say: “We welcome the confirmation of exploratory talks between the Universities and Colleges Employers Association and joint union representatives”.
“McEwan Hall, Bristo Square, University of Edinburgh” by dun_deagh is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.