Union ballots Glasgow Caledonian University lecturers for strikes

Last month, GCU announced that it "urgently needs to reduce costs" due to a £33million loss of income.

This significant step comes as the union seeks a firm guarantee from GCU management that there will be no compulsory redundancies resulting from the University's plan to cut up to 100 jobs. The ballot opens on Friday, 1st May 2026, and will close on Friday, May 22, 2026.

The decision to move to a statutory ballot follows a period of what the union has called "unproductive discussions" with university management regarding the announcement that the institution is looking to cut 100 jobs to address an anticipated £10M deficit this academic year.

Dozens of university staff and students in Glasgow have staged a major protest over proposals to axe 100 jobs at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU). (Image: Gordon Terris)

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The union has consistently voiced concerns about the justification for these job losses when "GCU holds large financial reserves."

Unions argue that GCU has more than £90m in cash reserves, which it says is the second highest of any Scottish university, and could use that to prevent job losses.

This led the EIS to lodge a dispute in March.

Another union, University and College Union (UCU), members at GCU were balloted last month over the same issue.

The EIS-ULA believes that the University’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies poses a direct threat to the job security of its members, the quality of education being delivered to students, and will have a detrimental impact on academic choice and research at GCU.

Andrea Bradley, EIS General Secretary, condemned the University’s approach, saying, "It is deeply regrettable that Glasgow Caledonian University has chosen to make this large number of job cuts and pushed staff to the point of balloting for strike action. The threat of redundancies is a short-sighted and damaging strategy that will have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of dedicated staff, many of whom have worked at GCU for years.

"Furthermore, it will inevitably lead to a decline in the academic provision, research capacity, and overall student experience at the University. We urge GCU to step back from this path and engage meaningfully with the EISULA to secure a no-compulsory-redundancy guarantee."

Naveed Hakeem, EIS-ULA Branch Convener at GCU, said: “Following the announcement on the 2nd of March that the University is seeking to cut 100 jobs, senior management at GCU have still failed to rule out the threat of compulsory redundancies.

"This is despite the cash reserves of GCU projected to reach a staggering £94 million by the end of this financial year, proportionally the second largest reserves in the Scottish HE sector.”

“The EIS-ULA branch at GCU has been clear with management - there are viable alternatives, the University has the financial resilience to adopt a phased stabilisation approach that allows time for recruitment trends and regulatory developments to become clearer before implementing irreversible structural changes to the workforce that will compromise the role of GCU in Scottish Higher Education. During this period, the threat of compulsory redundancies must be withdrawn.”

Glasgow Caledonian University joint unions protest (EIS/ULA, UCU, UNISON, UNITE) (Image: Mark F Gibson)

The EIS-ULA branch at GCU says it has a strong mandate from its members to move to this statutory ballot, with a previous consultative ballot showing overwhelming support for strike action if a no-compulsory-redundancy guarantee were not secured.

Earlier this month, staff and unions gathered outside a meeting of the University's governing body, the Court, to protest the planned cuts.

The EIS-ULA urges GCU management to reconsider its position on any planned redundancies and enter into negotiations aimed at achieving a fair resolution to the current dispute that safeguards jobs and protects the future of the University.

The union says it remains committed to finding a negotiated settlement but will not hesitate to take industrial action if necessary to defend its members and the integrity of academic provision at Glasgow Caledonian University.

A spokesperson for the University said: “GCU has seen a £33m drop in its income over a two year period and is facing a projected £10m deficit in the year ahead unless action is taken. We have recently concluded a formal consultation process with our staff and trade unions and are considering all proposals submitted.

"We are committed to working together to ensure the long term financial sustainability of the University, provide a high quality student experience and continue to benefit Glasgow. We appreciate that this is an unsettling time for our University community and are providing support for those who may be directly affected.”