University staff at the University of Edinburgh have begun a three-day strike in response to plans for £140m in cuts.
Members of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) walked out on Monday, calling on the institution to rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies.
The union has said that senior management has left staff, including lecturers, working without any certainty about their long-term employment. A spokesperson for the university said it needed to take decisive action to secure its financial position.
Strike action will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday, following earlier walkouts in September and a one-day strike during the summer. Action short of a strike has been underway since June.
The university announced its cost-cutting programme in February, stating it was facing severe financial challenges. UCU members were re-balloted last month, with 86 percent voting in favour of strike action on a 60 percent turnout.
The union has warned that as many as 1,800 jobs could be lost due to the cuts. It said this figure included what it described as hidden redundancies, such as fixed-term contracts not being renewed and reductions in part-time staff hours. Branch president Sophia Woodman said there was significant anger among staff.
She warned that the dispute could escalate to a full marking and assessment boycott unless the university returned to negotiations. She said: “University senior management need to finally do the right thing; commit to no compulsory redundancies and accept the union’s open offer of meaningful talks with a view to ending the dispute. Unless and until they do, the threat of more strikes, more disruption and a marking and assessment boycott will hang over the university. Students know exactly who is to blame.”
The university’s principal, Professor Peter Mathieson, said the institution was taking a responsible approach to its financial difficulties. He added that staff who were not striking were working to minimise disruption for students. He said: “Taking decisive action now is the responsible approach to prevent far greater challenges in the future. We have been transparent about the savings needed to secure our financial footing. These challenges are not unique to Edinburgh as institutions across the country are facing similar pressures.”
Meanwhile, around 30 activists from the Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society blockaded the entrance to Old College. They protested against the university’s financial links with companies said to support Israeli forces in the Gaza conflict, while also opposing the university’s cuts. Police Scotland said the situation was being handled by university security.
The gates leading into the Old College quadrangle were locked throughout Monday morning.
