Edinburgh University staff announce strike dates

The first of six strike days planned by University and Colleges Union staff will take place later this month

Staff at the University of Edinburgh are to take strike action on 20 June in a dispute over proposed £140m budget cuts.

The one-day walkout will then be followed by five further days of strikes at the start of the new academic year in September.

The University and Colleges Union (UCU) said the strike was happening because the university's principal, Sir Peter Mathieson, has refused to rule out making compulsory redundancies.

Earlier, Sir Peter told Holyrood's education committee the cuts, which include a £90m reduction in the wage bill, are "in the best interests of the university".

About 350 staff have already accepted voluntary redundancy but the university has refused to rule out compulsory job losses.

Unions argue the cuts, believed to be the largest ever in the history of Scottish higher education, are unnecessary given the extent of the university's cash reserves and assets in Edinburgh.

The UCU members previously voted 84% in favour of industrial action.

What are the dates of the Edinburgh University strike?

As well as the day of industrial action on 20 June, which coincides with a university open day, staff will also take part in action short of strike.

This will include working to contracted hours, not covering for absent colleagues, not undertaking voluntary activities and a boycott of administrative work related to implementing the cuts.

The UCU has stopped short of a marking and assessment boycott of students' work for now.

Strike dates are also set for 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 September. This coincides with the university's 'welcome week' when students arrive for the new academic year.

Sophia Woodman, UCU branch president at the university, said: "Staff want a sustainable future for the university as much as anybody and we want to work with senior management to end this dispute.

"But we're clear that the use of compulsory redundancies is unacceptable. With the resources and reserves held by the university it can easily afford to rule out sacking staff. "

The university principal, Prof Sir Peter Mathieson, has said failure to go ahead with the cuts would leave the university in an unsustainable situation

'Taking pre-emptive action'

Quizzed about the cuts at Holyrood's education committee, Sir Peter said he hoped future job losses could be made on a voluntary basis but could not rule out compulsory redundancies.

"We have not done so because we genuinely don't know if they are going to be necessary and it would be dishonest to pretend that we do know," he said.

"We're taking pre-emptive action to try and make sure the university remains in a sustainable position, we're not waiting to be in deficit before we do it.

"I'm confident the action we're taking now is in the best interests of the university."

Sir Peter was also quizzed about his £350,000 salary and job-related perks.

Last month the university's most senior academic body passed a vote of no confidence in its leadership over the financial position.