Edinburgh University taking strike action after plans for 1,800 job losses

A dispute over proposed job losses and funding cuts has sparked fresh industrial unrest at a Scottish major university.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at the University of Edinburgh will today begin strike action following management’s plans for £140 million in cuts and up to 1,800 job losses.

The ballot renews a dispute that began in February 2025 and led to nine days of strike action.

That earlier action followed the university management’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies.

A temporary agreement reached in December paused strike action and secured a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies until the end of July 2026.

However, the new ballot seeks a fresh mandate for industrial action should the university reinstate plans for compulsory redundancies after that date.

Claire Duncanson, vice-president of the Edinburgh UCU branch, said: “It was a clear win for members to get management to agree to rule out compulsory redundancies until the summer.

“There remains more to do however, and we need a new mandate for strike action if we’re going to be able to push management further on these clearly unnecessary cuts and job losses that take effect after July.

“As shown in the most recent annual report, the university’s finances are strong and healthy.

“The level of cuts management continue to propose are neither needed nor can they be carried out without substantially damaging education and research along with the student experience and staff working conditions.”

Ms Duncanson called for a resolution to the dispute that permanently rules out compulsory redundancies.

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The UCU has argued that with reserves exceeding £3 billion, the University of Edinburgh can afford to avoid the proposed cuts, which it says would be the largest ever made at a Scottish university.

Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: “A year after announcing the biggest cuts ever seen in Scottish higher education, Edinburgh university management still can’t tell us how many jobs they’re looking to cut.

“The union has pushed management and saved jobs during this dispute but we need a new mandate for strike action to push them further to rule out once and for all the threat of compulsory redundancies.”