𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Strike action will hit a university across all graduation days this summer, with union leaders insisting staff have “no alternative” but to take the action in a dispute over jobs.

The EIS said that to have the “biggest impact”, workers at Glasgow Caledonian University would take strike action on all graduation days – with the union claiming it had received “great support” as it fights planned job losses.

The union insisted that plans to cut 100 jobs have caused “fury” amongst staff.

The EIS added that a costed plan it had put forward to avoid these job cuts had been “rejected out of hand” by the university, as it accused senior management of refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies.

Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers Association (EIS ULA) will  walk out on strike for three days this week, with action taking place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Further action is also planned for later in the summer, with strikes scheduled for August 4, as well as September 7, September 8 and September 10.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “Any move to strike action is taken as a last resort, but our members at Glasgow Caledonian University have been left with no alternative as they seek to fend off the university’s cuts agenda.

“Not only are staff taking this action in defence of their jobs and the extra workload that staff who remain would be left with, they are also looking to protect the course provision, research capacity and the quality of teaching and learning at GCU.”

Dr Nick McKerrell, EIS ULA branch secretary at the university, meanwhile said: “The proposed loss of 100 jobs at Glasgow Caledonian University and senior management’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies has provoked fury across campus.

“On top of that, a costed plan put forward by trade unions to avoid these cuts was rejected out of hand.”

He claimed that GCU had “significant cash reserves of £95 million”, arguing that a “fraction” of that money “could be used to save jobs in the short term”.

Dr McKerrell continued: “Taking industrial action is not something any member of staff takes lightly, but we will not let our colleagues at risk of redundancy stand alone and we will use our collective strength to make management see sense.

“To make the biggest impact in the summer months we will take strike action across all graduation days at the university.

“We have received great support from our students in our campaign against redundancies.

“On a day to celebrate their academic achievements, we hope that they, along with their family and friends, will show support for their lecturers who helped them get to the point of graduation.”

A GCU spokesperson said: “The university’s priority is to ensure our graduating students and their guests enjoy their special day with us, celebrating everything they have achieved at Glasgow Caledonian University.

“Our campuses will be open as normal and we will be doing everything possible to minimise any disruption.

“We are coming to the end of a formal consultation period on the university’s proposals to reduce a number of staff posts. This follows the university experiencing a substantial drop in international student income which we now need to manage, while protecting the high quality experience and outcomes of our students.

“The university’s leadership team will now start to reflect on the feedback received during the consultation, and consequently, no final decisions have been made.”