Created on: 15 Apr 2025
Lecturing staff at Robert Gordon University (RGU) have begun their first day of strike action in a determined effort to protect jobs, stand up for quality education and oppose compulsory redundancies.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers Association (EIS-ULA) will take to picket lines on the university campus, signalling a significant escalation in the ongoing dispute with university management. The strike action follows a decisive ballot result, with a strong majority of union members voting in favour of industrial action.
The core of the dispute revolves around the university's proposals for cost-cutting measures, which the EIS argues will lead to substantial job losses and a detrimental impact on educational provision at RGU.
Union representatives have repeatedly called on university management to engage in meaningful negotiations and to rule out compulsory redundancies. However, these calls have been met with insufficient response, leaving staff with no alternative but to take industrial action.
EIS National Officer for Higher Education, Garry Ross said, "Our members have been left with no other option but to take strike action. They are fighting to protect their jobs, the jobs of their colleagues and to safeguard the future of quality education at RGU. The proposed cuts will have a devastating effect on both staff and students, and the EIS-ULA will not stand by and allow this to happen."
The EIS is urging the university to return to the negotiating table with a commitment to finding alternative solutions that avoid compulsory redundancies.
Unless this happens, the strike action is expected to continue, with further planned strike days at the beginning of May. The EIS-ULA is clear that it is prepared to take action until a satisfactory resolution is found and is seeking support from students and the wider community, in recognition of the vital role that lecturing staff play in the university's success.
The EIS remains committed to seeking a fair outcome for its members and in ensuring the range of academic provision at RGU is maintained for students now and in the future.