University of Edinburgh staff will be striking for three consecutive days — 17, 18, and 19 November — following an overwhelming vote of 86 per cent in favour of further industrial action in the re-ballot which ended in late October.
This is set to cause great disruption to teaching in students’ final week of teaching this semester, with classes cancelled over the three days.
The Union of Colleges and Universities (UCU) cited the university management’s refusal to commit to no compulsory redundancies, with plans to cut staff funding by £92m, involving the potential for 1800 jobs being cut, as well as further financial restructuring.
These cuts will lead to larger class sizes, less contact hours, and the potential for reduced course options.
Many students have been emailed by lecturers and tutors letting them know that they will not be teaching for the three days.
Hugo Gorringe, Head of Sociology, told The Student: “Staff are not paid when they go on strike, and for most of us the contact time with students is the most enjoyable and rewarding aspect of the job, so striking is always a last resort.”
“[Staff cuts] will have negative repercussions for the teaching and research that we are able to deliver, adversely impact on the student experience and the provision of support services.”
He continued: “I have faced rising staff anxiety and uncertainty, with new colleagues unsure whether it makes sense for them to settle down and buy a home or not, and established staff trying to work out what they need to do to have job security.”
These strikes constitute a continuation of the industrial action that took place in Welcome Week, disrupting the start of term for new and returning students.
Senior management have claimed in emails from Principal Sir Peter Mathieson that cuts are needed to address Edinburgh’s “financial challenges” and to prevent a projected deficit in the 25-26 academic year.
However, the UCU have pointed to the university’s 2023 Fiscal Year surplus of £13.3 million per month to argue that these cuts are unnecessary.
“UCU strike” by marsupium photography is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
