Breaking: Strike action at Edinburgh Uni and Heriot-Watt will take place in December

Industrial action will take place from 1 to 3 December


Edinburgh Uni and Heriot-Watt are two of 58 UK universities being hit by staff strike action in early December.

UCU confirmed that strike action will occur between Wednesday 1 December to Friday 3 December.

Participating university staff will take part in a three day walkout over issues of pension cuts, and pay and working conditions.

Earlier this month UCU held a vote in which its members at Edinburgh Uni and Heriot-Watt both backed strike action in the two separate ballots over these issues.

59 per cent of eligible Edinburgh University UCU members voted, with 81.2 per cent voting in favour of industrial strike action.

64.3 per cent of eligible Heriot-Watt UCU members voted, with 74.4 per cent voting in favour of industrial strike action.

The UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Strikes over three consecutive days are set to hit university campuses next month unless employers get round the table and take staff concerns over pension cuts, pay and working conditions seriously.

“UCU has repeatedly asked employers to meet with us to try to resolve these disputes. But while we set out pragmatic solutions that could halt widespread disruption to UK campuses, university bosses refuse to revoke unnecessary, swingeing pension cuts or even to negotiate on issues like casualisation and the unbearably high workloads that blight higher education.

“A resolution to this dispute is simple. But if employers remain intent on slashing pensions and exploiting staff who have kept this sector afloat during a pandemic then campuses will face strike action before Christmas, which will escalate into spring with reballots and further industrial action.”

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