University of the Highlands staff balloted for strike action over job cuts

Staff at the University of the Highlands and Islands are being balloted for strike action in a dispute over job cuts and the use of compulsory redundancies.

The University and College Union (UCU) said it comes after the university’s senior management announced last month that they plan to make 16 people redundant as part of efforts to save £2 million.

The union said the cuts would be a devastating blow for staff in the university’s executive office who would lose their jobs, and it fears there could be more in the future.

UCU members employed in the university’s executive office are being asked if they are prepared to take part both in strike action and action short of strike, in a ballot that closes on October 7.

UCU university branch president Conchor O Giollagain said: “Obviously, redundancy has a huge impact on the people who lose their jobs, but it also leaves other staff with increased workloads and the university itself less able to deliver the education students and communities across the Highlands and islands deserve.

“Times are hard just now across higher education, but the answer isn’t to cut staff who deliver vital services running the university and who ensure its future.

“By announcing these job cuts, university management are showing they’ve not learnt from the mistakes they’ve made in the past. Despite this, it’s not too late to avoid strikes and all the disruption that entails.

“We’re calling on the principal and senior managers to engage with the union, to go through the numbers with us to make sure we’re not back here again in a year’s time, and to work with us to identify alternative savings and, crucially, to stop using compulsory redundancies.”

The union argues senior management at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) should be looking at savings other than cutting staff.

Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: “Almost two years ago, I stood on the picket line alongside UHI members fighting job losses and trying to secure the university’s future.

“To be back here only two years late,r it seems that management is again making the same mistakes.

“Sadly, we’re back having to ballot for industrial action, but I’ve no doubt members will do the right thing to save jobs and secure the university’s long-term future by voting ‘yes’.”

A UHI spokesperson said: “Like many institutions across the higher education sector, the University of the Highlands and Islands is taking proactive measures to secure long-term financial sustainability for the benefit of our students, staff and communities.

“Rising inflation, coupled with flat-cash public funding, has created significant challenges in delivering a balanced budget.

“Despite constructive engagement with the trade union and sharing detailed financial information, we have not been able to identify viable alternatives that would achieve the necessary progress towards financial balance.

“The university has remained clear and consistent in its commitment, as part of its 2030 strategic plan, to achieving a balanced budget and ensuring financial sustainability in a very challenging funding climate.

“We are pursuing this responsibly through a mix of cost reductions and income generation measures, ensuring we can continue to deliver high-quality education, research and knowledge exchange for the regions we serve.”