Staff at Glasgow Caledonian University are set to strike on all graduation days this summer as part of an ongoing dispute over proposed job losses, with union leaders stating they have 'no alternative' but to take action.
Strike action planned across multiple days
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) confirmed that workers at the university would walk out on three days this week—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—with further strikes scheduled for August 4, September 7, September 8, and September 10. The union said the timing is intended to have the 'biggest impact' by targeting graduation ceremonies.
The EIS University Lecturers Association (EIS ULA) claims the university's plan to cut 100 jobs has caused 'fury' among staff. The union also stated that a costed alternative proposal to avoid redundancies was 'rejected out of hand' by university management, who have refused to rule out compulsory redundancies.
Union and branch secretary statements
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, added: '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 noted that GCU has 'significant cash reserves of £95 million' and argued that a 'fraction' of that could 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.'
University response
A Glasgow Caledonian University 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.'
