STAFF at Glasgow Caledonian University have voted to back strike action in a dispute over redundancies.
Unison said on Friday that 87% of balloted professional services staff – including IT, admin and security workers – voted in favour of industrial action to send a message to the university.
Glasgow Caledonian announced restructuring plans in March, and refused to rule out compulsory redundancies.
Unison believes up to 100 jobs are at risk and says redundancies are unnecessary, as the union claimed the university is on target to make a surplus and has extensive reserves.
“This overwhelming vote for strike action sends a clear message to the university to remove the threat of compulsory redundancies,” Unison Scotland regional organiser Janet Stewart said.
“University managers must now work with staff to find a way forward. Any resolution must protect the quality of learning for students and removes the stress of job insecurity faced by employees.”
Unison Caledonian University branch secretary Davena Rankin said cutting staff is not the answer.
“Professional services staff keep the university running and ensure students get proper support.
“But they’re being treated as a cost to cut, not an asset to be valued,” Rankin said.
“The university must ditch these damaging proposals and start listening to the workforce.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow Caledonian University said: “We are coming to the end of a formal consultation period on the university’s proposals to reduce a number of staff posts.
“This follows the university experiencing a substantial drop in international student income which we now need to manage, while protecting the high-quality experience and outcomes of our students.
“The university’s leadership team is now reflecting on the feedback received during the consultation, and consequently, no final decisions have been made.”
