Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at the University of Edinburgh have begun a new ballot in dispute over “unprecedented” cuts of over £140m.
UCU estimates up to 1,800 job losses, which would be the largest ever seen in a Scottish university.
After nine days of industrial action between September and December 2025, university management agreed to rule out compulsory redundancies until July 2026.
This resulted in UCU members voting to suspend industrial action for the rest of the existing mandate, which concludes at the end of April 2026.
The current ballot could provide a new mandate, meaning union members can implement
industrial action if the university continues with planned cuts and job losses, or reinstates compulsory redundancies again after July.
In the event of a ‘yes’ vote in the ballot, the mandate will last for 12 months rather than six months under the new Employment Rights Act 2025.
The UCU cited the University of Edinburgh as “the wealthiest in Scotland,” referring to reserves of over £3bn and last month’s Annual Report and Accounts that confirmed the university is not in a financial deficit.
Claire Duncanson, vice-president of the Edinburgh UCU branch, said:
“It was a clear win for members to get management to agree to rule out compulsory redundancies until the summer. There remains more to do however, and we need a new mandate for strike action if we’re going to be able to push management further on these clearly unnecessary cuts and job losses that take effect after July.
“As shown in the most recent annual report, the university’s finances are strong and healthy.
“The level of cuts management continue to propose are neither needed nor can they be carried out without substantially damaging education and research along with the student experience and staff working conditions.
“Twelve months after first announcing huge cuts without an idea how to go about it, and having put staff and students through needless stress and worry, the principal and his senior management team need to resolve this dispute and rule out the use of compulsory redundancies once and for all.”
Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said:
“A year after announcing the biggest cuts ever seen in Scottish higher education Edinburgh university management still can’t tell us how many jobs they’re looking to cut.
“The union has pushed management and saved jobs during this dispute but we need a new mandate for strike action to push them further to rule out once and for all the threat of compulsory redundancies.”
Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, said:
“Trade unions have an important role in times of change. The agreement reached in December demonstrated what constructive engagement can achieve. We continue to honour that agreement in full.
“Students need stability to make the most of their time at university, and protecting teaching and assessment from disruption must be a priority.
“While we respect the right to ballot, further industrial action risks undermining the progress we have made, and we urge union leaders to keep working with us to secure a sustainable future.
“Standing still is not an option – it would leave the university in a much more precarious financial position.
“We are making the difficult but responsible decisions necessary to cut costs across all areas, increase income and protect our global standing, with an ongoing commitment to avoid compulsory redundancies whenever possible.”
Image by Leah Collins for The Student