Queen Margaret University (UCU) Strike Calendar
Strike Type: Education
Latest Queen Margaret University Industrial Action Updates (2)
Members of UCU at Queen Margaret University (QMU) are striking today and tomorrow in a dispute over job cuts, possible compulsory redundancies, and cuts to research and scholarship time. The strikes take place over two days when students will be graduating from the university. Striking staff will be outside the graduation ceremonies at Edinburgh's Usher Hall to congratulate the students they've taught for the previous four years on their graduation. They will also be asking students and their families to put pressure on management to end the dispute, save jobs and to protect the university's reputation and future.
The strike follows a ballot where members of the union voted by 92% on a 67% turnout to back strike action. As well as striking staff are also taking part in action short of strike including not covering for absent colleagues and undertaking voluntary activities.
The dispute is over proposals by senior managers to cut £4million from staff costs and their refusal to rule out using compulsory redundancies. A voluntary redundancy scheme has been operating at the university, but despite staff leaving voluntarily more than five jobs remain at risk with members facing being made compulsorily redundant. Additionally, the university is looking to cut research and scholarship time for academics despite research-led teaching being recognised as the gold standard academically. The union said that the cuts and staff leaving the university meant that the remaining staff faced higher workloads and that working conditions at the university are worsening.
Staff at Queen Margaret University (QMU) have voted for strike action in a dispute over jobs cuts, compulsory redundancies and changes to working practices. University and College Union (UCU) Scotland members at the university voted by 92% to back strike action on a turnout of 67%. Action short of strike, which could involve working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues or voluntary activities, was also backed by 96% of members voting. Members of the branch will now decide their next steps in the dispute.
Senior managers at QMU are looking to make savings of £4million in staffing costs this academic year and in 2027/28 and have refused to rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies. On top of the job cuts, management also proposed cutting research and scholarship time for academic staff. Research-led teaching is recognised universally as the benchmark across higher education and the union argues that any step backwards on this would harm the university. The union has called for alternative savings and said that they will work with managers to identify where else savings could be made.
Queen Margaret University Strike Calendar
2 Strike Dates 0 Planned
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