Strike ballot opens today at Edinburgh University in £140m cuts dispute amid compulsory redundancies fear

The ballot will run until May 20 and could pave the way for industrial action, including strikes, at the university. Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Edinburgh University are being asked if they are willing to take part in strike action and action short of strike.

In an earlier consultative ballot, 75 per cent of members said that they would be willing to strike and 85 per cent said they would take part in action short of strikes, such as working to contract and refusing to cover for absent colleagues or undertaking voluntary duties.

The ballot follows the principal of the university, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, announcing to staff in an email on February 25 that he was looking to make cuts of £140m, a move which the union said would see the biggest ever cuts made in Scottish higher education history.

The university principal had also said that cuts of this magnitude could not be made by voluntary redundancy alone and refused to rule out compulsory redundancies, as demanded by the union meaning that staff could be forced to leave their jobs.

The unions have expressed doubt over the need for cuts and said that, instead, if the principal is determined to make savings then he should do so by using reserves and by cutting back on building and capital expenditure. The university has published accounts showing it has net assets in excess of £3 billion, making it one of the richest universities in the country.

Old College buildings at the University of Edinburgh. Picture: Scott Louden/NationalWorld | JPI Media License

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Branch president, Sophia Woodman, said: “There is no need for the university to be making cuts of £140million. In fact, without a deficit, there’s a strong feeling among staff that this is both an unnecessary and a manufactured crisis.

“The UCU branch is as determined as anyone to ensure the long-term feasibility and health of Edinburgh University but that should be a future where staff and students; and teaching and research are at the forefront.

“Cuts of the size university senior management are planning will have a devastating impact not just on the university’s future, but also on the city and our local economy. University senior managers need to listen to what staff are telling them, rule out compulsory redundancies and engage with the union to find a better way forward.”

The ballot opens as the UCU branch at the University of Dundee recently ended 15 days of strikes over plans there to cut 632 jobs. The union said that, while there appears to have been “serious mismanagement” at Dundee, there is no need for cuts at the University of Edinburgh where there is no deficit.

UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, said: “Making cuts of £140million when there is no need to do so is nothing short of academic vandalism. Edinburgh University is one of the Scotland’s oldest and most respected universities with an unparalleled reputation internationally.

“Professor Mathieson needs to reconsider these brutal cuts and do his job in protecting staff jobs and the university’s reputation and future.”

The university’s Principal, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, described the funding model for Scottish higher education as “broken” and in need of “radical rewiring to survive”.

He said: "We are, and have been, in discussion with our joint trade unions throughout this process, during which they have been provided with detailed financial modelling.

"We have also been in active conversation with our funding bodies and Government representatives, and are open to further dialogue. We appreciate many of the concerns raised by colleagues, students and others in our community, and we are making every effort to listen.

"However, we have been very clear that our current financial position is not sustainable and we are not immune to the challenges that the higher education sector is currently facing.

"The actions we must take now, which include a reduction of both staff and non-staff operating costs, will ensure that we remain strongly placed for the future, so that we can continue to attract the brightest minds and remain a world-leading university.

"We will continue to liaise with our unions and urge them to work together with us to shape a positive and sustainable outcome for the university and its community."