Heriot-Watt staff strike in latest action to hit universities

Lecturers at Heriot-Watt University are to walk out as part of a series of strikes over job cuts and proposals to close programmes.

Academics at the institution in Edinburgh are to take industrial action in protest over plans to close 41 posts at the Riccarton campus and 10 at a satellite campus in Malaysia.

The University and Colleges Union (UCU) said the number of jobs being lost around the country amounted to a "crisis" and called on the Scottish government to intervene.

A Heriot-Watt spokesperson said the timing of the strike was "disappointing" as negotiations with UCU representatives continue.

Universities Minister Ben McPherson urged both parties to get round the table.

He said: "While the Scottish government cannot intervene directly, we encourage universities and trade unions to engage constructively and seek resolution to these disputes."

Current plans at Heriot-Watt would see jobs lost in the department of languages and intercultural studies, which could see the end of undergraduate teaching of German and Chinese.

The online learning programme for school pupils, Scholar, would also see staff numbers cut.

The institution posted a deficit of £7.9m for the 2024/25 financial year.

It blamed increasing costs but said it was on a path to ensuring long term sustainability.

Kate Sang, president of the Heriot Watt UCU branch, said: "The university is refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies.

"Students will not have the choices anymore to study a variety of courses around German and Chinese - applicants who already had places had their places withdrawn a few weeks ago."

She added the strikes were having a severe impact on staff.

Sang said: "It's very sad. In 14 years we've never had to go on strike, we've always been able to resolve local disputes.

"I've never in my years of a trade union seen people so distressed in union meetings.

"People can't cope with what's happening."

Matt Riemland, an assistant professor in German, said his future was "up in the air" after moving to Scotland in August last year to take up a post at the university.

He added: "It's been extremely distressing for myself and for so many colleagues.

"There's a tremendous amount of stress.

"It's really hard to look ahead, keep moving forward and do the best we can for the students when our jobs are in such a precarious state."

A Heriot-Watt spokesperson recognised it was a difficult time for those affected.

But they said they were committed to resolving the dispute through voluntary severance wherever possible.

The spokesperson added: "While we respect the right to lawful industrial action, it is disappointing that strike action is taking place while discussions with the UCU are ongoing.

"Our priority remains constructive dialogue and protecting the experience of our students while ensuring the university's long-term sustainability."

Last week staff at Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Dundee universities also took strike action, in series of individual disputes against job cuts and worries over future compulsory redundancies.

Strathclyde University are to cut 76 roles, whilst Dundee plan to cut the equivalent of 180 full time roles.

At Aberdeen, cuts to jobs are planned to help save over £5m.

Elsewhere, strikes are expected to resume at the University of Edinburgh next week.

And the BBC understands academics at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) will also open a ballot on Wednesday against the threat of redundancies.

Leaders at GCU recently announced that up to 100 posts could be lost, after revealing a £10m funding gap for the coming year.

Over half of Scotland's higher education institutions are in dispute or have been in dispute this past year over staffing or funding cuts.

Claire McPherson, director of Universities Scotland, said: "The grim reality is that universities are facing an incredibly challenging mix of rising costs, set against both falling and highly volatile sources of income, domestically and internationally."

More than half of Scotland's universities are forecast to be in deficit this year.

Rising costs - particularly the impact of inflation, energy prices and national insurance increases - have all hit the sector, whilst the number of international students has dropped for the past two years.

Universities have long claimed that the money they receive from the Scottish government to ensure "free tuition" for Scottish students has not kept pace with inflation and is less per student than similar institutions in England get from tuition fees.

Recruiting international students who pay higher fees – of up to £40,000 per year – has helped fill the financial shortfall.

But changes to immigration and visa rules, currency fluctuations and increasing international competition have combined to leave this income stream vulnerable.

At the end of last year, the Scottish government announced a review into financial sustainability for Scotland's universities to address the challenges across the sector.

It is expected to report back after the Scottish parliamentary election.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady acknowledged multiple problems had hit the sector but said the current issues were due to "ongoing government underfunding".

She added: "There has never been a time when so many jobs are on the line.

"The review is a welcome acknowledgement that things can't go on as they are but is no comfort to people losing their jobs right now or the students seeing their courses cut.

"We need the Scottish government to commit to fully funding our universities and principals to rule out compulsory redundancies."