UWS lecturers back strike action in 'overwhelming' union ballot

The university, which has campuses in Paisley, Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and London, had a deficit of £14.4m in 2023/24 and is expected to post an £8.4m deficit for the current financial year.

The EIS union is looking to secure a guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancies as part of the process and after what it described as "unproductive discussions with university management" it opened a strike ballot.

Read More:

• Glasgow University accused of profiting from 'blood money' due to Gaza ties

• University investigating student complaints over Palestinian fundraiser

• 'Education is the key' - Susie McCabe on her support for LGBT-inclusive schooling

The union said more than 94% of members who voted had backed strike action, but that there was still time for UWS to come to the table.

Commenting on the ballot results, the EIS National Officer for Higher Education, Garry Ross stated, “With over 94% of those who voted electing to take strike action, this sends a loud and clear message to management at UWS that staff will fight against these proposed redundancies.

"Our members are hard-working, dedicated professionals who are not only concerned for the job losses that the university are set on making, but the impact the removal of these posts will have on the number of courses being made available at the university and the quality of the learning and teaching that students will receive in future at UWS.

“Now is the time for management at UWS to hold constructive talks with the EIS and remove their redundancy plans, avoiding the need for their staff to take industrial action to save their jobs."

A spokesperson for UWS said: “We have engaged with our recognised trade union representatives ahead of and throughout this process. Having been disappointed previously when the recognised trade unions withdrew from engaging, we provided an open invitation to return and contribute to shaping the future of UWS, and we were pleased they returned to the table last month, and since then at a series of weekly meetings, which are ongoing.

“The fact remains that UWS has seen a significant reduction in funded places from the Scottish Funding Council and our plan for a change in the academic workforce aligns with that reduction. Since 2022/23, the overall funded places have reduced from 12,735.3 to 10,850 for the coming year; a fall of more than 1,800 places.

“The University is committed to mitigating the impact on staff, with a focus on employment retention where possible – thus, the majority of savings will be delivered through stringent vacancy management. Our approach has been transparent from the outset and we have been very clear that compulsory redundancies would be a last resort. In line with this commitment, at our most recent all-staff meeting colleagues were advised that a voluntary severance scheme for affected colleagues has now been shared with the recognised trade unions.

“In common with the rest of the higher education sector across the UK, the University is operating in a very challenging financial environment exacerbated by external factors that have driven a significant change in the size and shape of our student population, and the associated funding. The challenge facing UWS is not unique, and throughout the process we have focused on ensuring we continue to deliver an excellent student experience and enhanced graduate outcomes.”