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Lecturers on the College of Edinburgh are being balloted on additional industrial motion, in a row over what a union described as “the most important cuts ever seen in Scottish larger schooling”.
The dispute started in February final 12 months when the college introduced plans to slash its funds by £140 million, with the College and Faculty Union (UCU) warning this might consequence within the lack of as much as 1,800 jobs.
UCU members walked out for a complete of 9 days in 2025 over the plans, earlier than reaching a “clear win” in December when administration agreed to rule out obligatory redundancies till the tip of July 2026.
This noticed UCU members narrowly conform to droop industrial motion through the present industrial motion mandate, which lasts till the tip of April.
Now the union is balloting members on a contemporary mandate, which if it passes would final for 12 reasonably than six months on account of adjustments in employment regulation launched within the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Claire Duncanson, vice-president of the Edinburgh UCU department, mentioned: “It was a transparent win for members to get administration to conform to rule out obligatory redundancies till the summer time.
“There stays extra to do, nonetheless, and we’d like a brand new mandate for strike motion if we’re going to have the ability to push administration additional on these clearly pointless cuts and job losses that take impact after July.
“As proven in the latest annual report, the college’s funds are robust and wholesome.
“The extent of cuts administration proceed to suggest are neither wanted nor can they be carried out with out considerably damaging schooling and analysis together with the coed expertise and employees working situations.
“12 months after first asserting big cuts with out an thought tips on how to go about it, and having put employees and college students by way of pointless stress and fear, the principal and his senior administration workforce have to resolve this dispute and rule out using obligatory redundancies as soon as and for all.”
The union described the size of cuts proposed as “unprecedented”, and questioned whether or not they’re wanted given the college has reserves of greater than £3 billion.
The UCU additionally identified that the college’s monetary accounts for 2024-25 confirmed it was not in deficit.
Jo Grady, UCU basic secretary, mentioned: “A 12 months after asserting the most important cuts ever seen in Scottish larger schooling, Edinburgh college administration nonetheless can’t inform us what number of jobs they’re seeking to minimize.
“The union has pushed administration and saved jobs throughout this dispute however we’d like a brand new mandate for strike motion to push them additional to rule out as soon as and for all the specter of obligatory redundancies.”
The College of Edinburgh has been approached for remark.
