University staff to hold 25 strike days amid row over cuts and job losses
Academics and university staff at the University of Edinburgh have voted to stage 25 days of strike action spread over five weeks, beginning on 28 September, in a dispute centred on proposed budget cuts and the risk of compulsory redundancies.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) Scotland working at the university said the action is intended to press management to rule out forced job losses and to secure a commitment to meaningful consultation on restructures. The dispute follows a controversial package of savings announced by university leadership earlier this year.
The principal, Sir Peter Mathieson, first revealed plans in early 2025 for around £140 million of cuts, and an estimated 1,800 job losses as part of measures designed to prevent the institution falling into deficit amid sector-wide financial pressures. Management has previously said it is “seeking to avoid compulsory redundancies where possible”.
“We have given management another opportunity to avoid the strikes. We need a commitment to no compulsory redundancies, meaningful consultation and action to address hidden job losses and increased workloads.” — UCU Edinburgh branch co-secretary Nik Matheou
Union officers say members are concerned by rising workloads, ongoing uncertainty from repeated restructures and what they describe as “hidden job losses”. The union’s Edinburgh branch co-president, Lena Wånggren, warned that staff regard compulsory redundancies as an unacceptable response to the university’s financial challenges.
- Action begins: 28 September
- Duration: 25 strike days over five weeks
- Main demand: an explicit guarantee of no compulsory redundancies and improved consultation
Impact on teaching and assessment
Students returning for the new academic year have been warned they may encounter cancelled lectures and seminars as the action targets teaching and related duties. The union has previously pursued forms of industrial action including a marking and assessment boycott at the end of the last semester. That action, the union admits, did not achieve its aims, although it says earlier pressure did result in management postponing decisions on compulsory redundancies until this month.
The lead-up to the strike has included communication from the university to staff about cuts within its College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The university has indicated the reductions will affect areas of duplication, courses with low student uptake and programmes due for review or retirement.
Local consequences and wider context
The University of Edinburgh is one of the city’s largest employers and a major driver of the local economy. Sustained industrial action has the potential to affect not only students’ learning and assessment but also services that support campus life and partnerships with local businesses. For many students, early-term disruption can create anxiety about completion of courses, progression and access to teaching staff.
University management and union representatives remain in a standoff: the union is seeking a clear undertaking against forced redundancies alongside what it calls meaningful consultation on workload pressures and restructures; university leaders say they are working to manage an uncertain funding environment and to minimise compulsory job losses where possible.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start date | 28 September |
| Number of strike days | 25 |
| Timeframe | Five weeks |
The dispute at Edinburgh reflects wider strains across UK higher education, where institutions have cited falling revenues and increased costs in recent years. For Edinburgh, the outcome of talks between UCU members and university management will be watched closely by staff, students and local residents who rely on the institution for employment and cultural and economic activity.
Both sides have been approached for further comment and the university has previously stated it is seeking to avoid compulsory redundancies where possible while addressing its financial position.
