UCU Congress backs industrial action at Glasgow University

Industrial action looks increasingly likely as the university did not withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies in a meeting with Glasgow UCU. The university has targeted over 50 jobs losses in the Archaeology, Biomedical & Life Sciences and Education departments. The union says the job losses are unnecessary and that the university has broken promises to staff.

The union believes there is no economic case for the losses as the university is financially sound and has admitted there is £6 million surplus for this year. However, certain departments appear to have been targeted for having spurious deficits, the detail of which the university has failed to divulge.

Budgets and financial targets are allocated to departments by the central administration of the university who also require each department to pay back ever increasing overheads.

Glasgow UCU President, Dave Anderson, said: 'Congress today gave its support for industrial action at Glasgow University and as the university has not withdrawn the threat of redundancies we have no choice but to move to ballot on industrial action.

'The management has failed to justify the reasoning behind these cuts and is hiding behind the spurious deficits at departmental level which only exist due to the increasing claw backs demanded by central administration of the university'

Scottish Official, Mary Senior, said: 'UK congress has given its backing for the industrial action ballot and we will now campaign for a vote in favour of industrial action.'

Note : Motion in full

Congress strongly supports UCUG in its dispute with Glasgow University over compulsory redundancies in the faculties of Education and Biomedical & Life Sciences as well as the threat of jobs in GUARD (Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division). Congress calls on Glasgow University Court and Senior Management Group to withdraw this very real threat of compulsory redundancies and sends a strong message of support to UCUG members in their local ballot for industrial action.