STAFF at the Open University's Scottish centre are to walk out on strike over plans to cut back the educational body's regional presence.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at the Open University centre in Edinburgh will stage a one-day walk-out on Wednesday in protest over a decision to push ahead with plans to close seven regional centres, putting 502 jobs at risk.
The proposals were approved at a meeting of the university’s council on Tuesday, despite widespread opposition from staff, students and politicians.
Further one-day strikes are planned at national centres on Friday 11 December. The strikes will be the first time staff have taken action over a local dispute in the university’s history.
The centres earmarked for closure are in Cambridge, Leeds, Bristol, Birmingham, Gateshead, London and Oxford. UCU said it would be a devastating blow to lose so much expertise and has questioned why so many centres are being hit at the same time.
UCU Open University branch president Pauline Collins said: :It is deeply disappointing that the university has chosen to push ahead with these widely criticised plans.
"The closures are opposed by staff, students, former students and politicians. Our senate, which is the academic body of the university, rejected the plans as high risk and failing to support the mission of the university.
"Nobody wants to take strike action, but we have now been left with no alternative. The university needs to listen to our concerns and abandon these damaging proposals."
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