Aberdeen University staff to strike in dispute over cuts

Staff at the University of Aberdeen are to go on strike over cuts.

University and College Union (UCU) members previously voted to back industrial action in the ongoing dispute.

Four strike dates were then announced - the first two being Thursday and Friday, followed by Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

The university has described the strike action as "disappointing".

UCU has been urging university management to continue negotiations.

Dan Cutts, the Aberdeen UCU branch co-chair, said: "March is a busy time at the university and the very last thing staff want to be doing is going on strike for four days.

"It's not too late to end this dispute and stop staff and students facing the inevitable disruption a strike will bring.

"We're ready to sit down to serious talks and to negotiate an end to this dispute, and work with the employer to avoid the need for compulsory redundancies."

A university spokesperson said: "It is disappointing industrial action has been announced while we look at ways of tackling the challenges facing the university and UK higher education sector.

"Every effort will be made to minimise the impact of any action on our students who will be given advice and kept updated."

In December, the university's new principal described managing to achieve a break-even financial position by 2028 as a "real challenge".

Prof Peter Edwards said that, while progress had been made in finding more than £5m of savings, there was still a "lot of work to do".

He told BBC Scotland News he hoped that redundancies could be avoided, but that there needed to be a "fundamental look" at the current funding model for universities.

The university reopened a voluntary severance and early retirement scheme last year in a bid to find £5.5m in savings.

It also froze recruitment, and asked departments to identify other measures to save money.

The university recently confirmed 41 people took up an offer of a severance package or early retirement.

The institution said "wide-ranging measures" had allowed it to reduce its deficit for 2024-25 to £4.3m.

And it confirmed it was on track to achieve the budget approved by its governing body for this year, with work continuing to return to a break-even position by 2028.

Elsewhere, Edinburgh University announced £140m of cuts to tackle financial difficulties, while the Scottish government bailed out Dundee University with £40m of emergency funding.

The Scottish government has said it wants a "successful and sustainable future" for higher education.