Edinburgh University lecturers begin walkout amid dispute over £140m cuts plan

Lecturers and other staff at the University of Edinburgh are set to begin a five-day walkout in a dispute over plans to cut £140m from the university’s budget.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are expected to be on picket lines at various sites around the university every day until Friday September 12.

A rally is also due to be held in the city’s George Square at 12pm on Monday.

The union said its members had “no choice” but to take industrial action following the university’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies as part of its savings bid, with as many as 1,800 jobs understood to be at risk.

It also disputed the need for the cuts – which it said are the “largest ever seen” in the history of Scottish higher education – due to the university not being in deficit.

The union added the university was “one of the richest in the country”, and said it could cut back on capital expenditure and building work, or draw on its “large reserves”, instead of cutting staff.

In February, university principal Professor Sir Peter Mathieson said it needed to achieve “a smaller staff base and lower operating costs” within 18 months due to a forecast operating deficit.

The walk-out coincides with the university’s “welcome week”, when new students arrive on campus for the first time.

UCU branch president Sophia Woodman said: “Students arriving this week on campus and starting their university journey should be able to be confident that they’ll complete their studies in a university that retains its current reputation for excellence and that offers students the courses they signed up for, as well as the support they need to do well in their studies.

The UCU said cutting staff at the University of Edinburgh would amount to ‘academic vandalism’ (Jane Barlow/PA). PA Media

“It’s impossible, though, to cut 1,800 staff from any university without seriously impacting the teaching, research and student experience and damaging the university’s reputation.

“No-one wants to go on strike, but staff are sounding the alarm about the impact of these cuts.

“Staff are striking because they have no choice but to take this week’s action to force senior management to re-engage, to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies and to end this dispute.”

The action comes after a day of strike action on June 20, when UCU members walked out during a university open day.

Action short of a strike, such as working to contract, not volunteering for duties and not covering absent colleagues, has also been ongoing since June 20.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Edinburgh university is a wealthy institution, with large reserves.

“Instead of pressing on with cuts and job losses Peter Mathieson needs to listen to staff at the university, engage with the union and commit to ruling out the use of compulsory redundancies.

“Anything else is academic vandalism on an unprecedented scale.”

The university announced last week that it has launched a new voluntary redundancy scheme for staff in senior grades, along with an “enhanced” retirement scheme for employees.

In April, it was announced that “around 350” staff had opted to take voluntary redundancy under an earlier scheme.

Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, principal and vice chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, said: “The higher education sector across the UK is facing serious and urgent financial challenges, placing its long-term stability under threat.

“We have been transparent about the impact of these pressures on Edinburgh and the steps we are taking to proactively maintain our position as a world-leading university.

“We respect colleagues’ right to take part in industrial action and will do everything we can to minimise any disruption to our students and planned welcome week activities.

“We continue to engage regularly with the joint trade unions, staff and our students, and remain firmly committed to ongoing dialogue as we take the necessary steps to safeguard the future of our university.”