Strike action at UHI executive office over job cuts

University and College Union members on a picket line at the UHI Executive Office

Staff at the University of the Highlands and Islands' (UHI) executive office have begun four days of strike action in a dispute over job cuts.

UHI management are pushing ahead with 10 compulsory redundancies and a number of other roles are at risk as they try to make £2m of savings.

The University and College Union (UCU) said continual rounds of job cuts were damaging UHI and alternatives like structural reform should be the priority.

Management at UHI said there were no other viable options to secure the financial sustainability of the organisation.

UCU UHI branch president, Conchúr Ó Giollagáin, said they were disappointed that they had not reached an agreement with management to avert the strike.

He said: "Nobody wants to go on strike, however, there is a duty on us at the union to protect employment.

"There have been five series of either voluntary severances or redundancies over the last five years and we are now into a crisis situation in the University.

"This ongoing reliance on redundancies is destabilising the university."

A Halloween themed display on the picket line

Mr Ó Giollagáin said the structure of the UHI was out of date and not fit for purpose and that should be the focus of cost saving efforts.

"We think we should sort out our governance and structural issues first and then look at staff compliment after that," he said.

"Management have got their priorities mixed up. They have got them backwards."

'Challenging time'

In a statement the UHI said it recognised that this was a "challenging and uncertain time for colleagues" adding that it was also committed to minimising any disruption to students from strike action.

It said it had "engaged in extensive and constructive dialogue" to explore all possible alternatives to job cuts.

"Unfortunately, no viable options have been identified that would deliver the level of financial sustainability the university requires."

'Difficult decisions'

UHI's principal and vice chancellor Vicki Nairn said they were in an "unprecedented period, a perfect storm of rising costs, declining income and declining funding".

She told BBC Scotland News: "We have to make sure that we are financially sustainable."

"Very sadly that means we have to take some very difficult decisions which I hope will mean that UHI is here and stronger for the future and very much focused on growth."

Further strike action is planned on the 5, 17 and 18 November.