Lecturers at Robert Gordon University (RGU) have gone on strike following news that further redundancies will be taking place. The strike commenced after the large majority of unions members voted for industrial action.
RGU staff have been photographed today holding signs sporting slogans including; “Stop the cuts at RGU” and “No compulsory redundancies at RGU”.
This is not the first news of redundancies. These strikes come after 130 staff were axed through a voluntary severance scheme in November. RGU principal, Steve Olivier, states that staff are being sacrificed for the long-term wellbeing of RGU, criticising strike action, saying that he is “disappointed”.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) claim that these redundancies will be the cause of “substantial job losses” and have “a detrimental impact on educational provisions”. Garry Ross, EIS National Officer for Higher Education, states that these job cuts will have a “devastating effect on both staff and students”.
RGU claims that they hope for no more than 60 redundancies, but it is currently unclear how many staff are at risk.
These strikes aim to force the University into negotiations, hoping to save as many jobs as possible. Members of EIS plan to continue striking in May and September if negotiations are unsuccessful.
RGU is not the only university to make cuts after finding themselves in financial hot water. The University of Dundee recently dismissed 20% of their workforce in March, after a £35 million deficit was found in the University budget.
The University of Edinburgh has also admitted to also being at risk of future redundancies. Financial strain has shown across the board at Scottish universities.
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