Lecturing staff at Robert Gordon University have begun their first day of strike action to oppose compulsory redundancies.
The university, in Aberdeen, has implemented two voluntary severance schemes since November 2023 and offered voluntary redundancy to staff who would be affected by proposals for a maximum of 60 compulsory redundancies.
A spokesperson for the university previously said it had identified more than 60 vacant roles to be made available for redeployment, in a bid to reduce the number of compulsory redundancies.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers Association (EIS-ULA) will picket on the campus on Tuesday.
Strike action has also been set for May 1 and 7, and further strikes between September 8 and 12.
In March, a ballot organised by EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, resulted in 83% of unionised lecturers voting to back strike action.
The union urged management to withdraw the prospect of compulsory redundancies, and a spokesperson said the “scale of the cuts proposed at RGU is alarming”, describing job losses as “significant”.
EIS said that cost-cutting “will lead to substantial job losses and a detrimental impact on educational provision at RGU” and urged for management to rule out compulsory redundancies.
The union said this had been met with “an insufficient response, leaving staff with no alternative but to take industrial action”.
EIS national officer for higher education, Garry Ross said: “Our members have been left with no other option but to take strike action.
“They are fighting to protect their jobs, the jobs of their colleagues and to safeguard the future of quality education at RGU.
“The proposed cuts will have a devastating effect on both staff and students, and the EIS-ULA will not stand by and allow this to happen.”
The EIS is urging the university to return to the negotiating table with a commitment to finding alternative solutions that avoid compulsory redundancies, to prevent further planned strike days at the beginning of May.
A spokesperson for the EIS-ULA said it is “prepared to take action until a satisfactory resolution is found” and is seeking support from students and the wider community, adding: “The EIS remains committed to seeking a fair outcome for its members and in ensuring the range of academic provision at RGU is maintained for students now and in the future.”
Robert Gordon University has been contacted for comment.
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