In a significant move, staff at the University of Edinburgh have initiated five days of strike action in response to serious financial challenges facing the institution. Prof Sir Peter Mathieson, the university’s principal, has acknowledged these urgent financial issues, emphasizing the university’s transparency regarding the impact of budget cuts on its operations.
The University of Edinburgh, one of the premier research universities in all of Great Britain and Scotland’s state capital, is now confronting an existential crisis. It aims to cut costs by £140 million. Even as the institution sits on huge reserves, its leadership has come under fire for failing to fully reckon with its own fiscal crisis. Personnel are holding the line. They’re upset over the way the university has addressed declining revenues, claiming the cuts would put their jobs and the university’s quality of education in jeopardy.
Prof Sir Peter Mathieson noted, “We must cut back on capital expenditure and building work to address our financial challenges.” This admission highlights just how dire a situation it is that the staff is coming together to call on MTA to amend these cuts.
The strike at the University of Edinburgh that we’re joining in isn’t a one-off. It’s a sign of the expanding strike wave sweeping Scottish universities. In the wake of staff protests earlier this year, Robert Gordon University (RGU) planned… Ties to apartheid. In April, employees staged an official strike to stand up against the use of compulsory redundancies. In November of last year, RGU proposed 188 redundancies as part of restructuring and cost-saving efforts, which prompted a firestorm of anger from faculty. Of these redundancies, only 18 were mandatory, with the other 170 being created through a voluntary severance program.
The strikes at both universities across the country have helped demonstrate the collective demand of staff members that they deserve job security. A representative from the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) stated, “Both universities have failed to provide a no compulsory redundancy guarantee, and our members have been left with no choice but to take a stand by striking.”
Staff at RGU have demonstrated immense strength, unity and determination in their struggle to defend their jobs and the quality of education they’re able to provide. “Our members are resolute in their fight to defend their jobs and protect the quality of education at RGU and UWS,” said an EIS spokesperson. Faculty are driven to go on strike. They say that the stakes have gotten too high for university administrations not to exert more pressure to settle long-standing disagreements.
Both universities are now under increasing pressure from staff who are arguing there is no need to make compulsory redundancies. “Staff are being forced to take strike action as neither university has made any attempt to resolve their respective disputes, instead deciding to push forward with plans to make staff redundant,” remarked an EIS representative.
Both universities’ spokespeople have risen to that challenge. They’re all doing a herculean job of figuring out how to best respond to these unprecedented circumstances. A spokesperson for RGU stated, “The university is continually evolving to meet the needs of our students, staff, and the wider sector.” They stressed that staying nimble and responsive can require more tweaks along the way.
A spokesperson for the University of West Scotland (UWS) confirmed that they have a voluntary severance scheme. This new initiative is intended to avoid any forced redundancies. “As EIS colleagues know, a voluntary severance scheme is open, and it is hoped that this approach will avoid the need for compulsory redundancy,” they stated.
