The University and College Union’s Edinburgh branch (UCUE) has announced a marking boycott.
The industrial action is scheduled to begin on 1 May, meaning that participating staff will not mark assessments and exams from this point onwards.
An email from the University on Wednesday 22 April told students: “The ongoing industrial action is a challenging and disruptive time for many of you, particularly for those who are preparing for exams and submitting coursework and other assignments.”
It continued: “We have robust measures in place to reduce impact on students and to mitigate the risk that you are disadvantaged in your assessment or exam outcomes as a direct result of industrial action.
“We will make every effort to provide assessment, exam results, degree award outcomes and progression decisions to you by the published timelines.”
Students have been advised to “work on the basis that your studies will continue as normal,” and told “it is critical that you continue to submit any assessments as planned, adhere to all course deadlines, and attend and complete exams as planned.”
The move is next in a line of ongoing industrial action between the UCUE and the university.
The UCUE renewed its mandate for industrial action earlier this April, due to an aimed £140 million budget cuts and up to 1,800 job losses.
They felt that the University was “not engaging meaningfully, including barring the union from key meetings and not sharing necessary financial information.”
A similar marking boycott in 2023 saw students graduating with unclassified degrees, a fact which one fourth-year student said was “extremely worrying.”
Nonetheless, the student went on to tell The Student that they “completely support” staff taking industrial action, as “the University’s budget cutting measures do seem extreme.”
Principal and Vice Chancellor Peter Mathieson said the University is “profoundly disappointed, disheartened and frustrated,” with the UCUE.
He said the UCUE’s move was “completely unjustifiable and will add unnecessary strain on our students during an already challenging and important time.”
The statement went on: “UCUE representatives may say that they want constructive engagement, however this decision and timing suggests otherwise.
The University will continue to offer consultation with union representatives and continue to uphold our commitments under the agreement reached in December 2025, as we believe this is in the best interests of our staff.”
The UCUE have yet to release a statement on the proposed action.
Illustration by Hollie Joiner for The Student.