The University and College Union (UCU) has launched a strike ballot today, January 5, to decide whether its members from the University of Stirling will take strike action in the upcoming spring semester.
Members will also be voting to decide if they will engage in other similarly disruptive actions, such as a marking and assessment boycott; working to contract; refusing to cover for absent colleagues; and refusing to undertake voluntary activities.
The vote comes after a recent voluntary severance scheme saw 175 members of staff terminate their employment at the University to ensure the institution’s “long-term financial sustainability.”
The severance scheme was in summer 2025, a few months after Principal Gerry McCormac’s wage increased to £414,000 making him the highest paid university principal in Scotland.
Despite 9.7 per cent of staff being lost to the severance scheme, the UCU says the University’s senior managers are considering making more cuts and have not ruled out compulsory redundancies.
UCU members will have until February 17 to cast their vote and decide which action they choose to take.
A Stirling UCU spokesperson said: “We have not seen any justification for further jobs losses at Stirling.
“We urge the University to revisit its financial strategy and prioritise the protection of jobs over strategic investments.
“The University is currently restructuring faculties and professional services.
“There is also a Scottish Government led strategic review on funding model for Scotland’s universities about to get underway.
”Any compulsory redundancies in this context is premature.”
Ballots are also happening at the University of Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt University, and the University of Strathclyde where there are similar job security issues.
Jo Grady, UCU General Secretary, said: “We’re just days into the New Year and once again universities across Scotland are facing the possibility of industrial action, with members being forced to vote for strike action to defend jobs and force university principals to rule out compulsory redundancies.
“With a record number of jobs being cut across Scottish universities, the principals at Stirling and Heriot-Watt and those at Strathclyde and Aberdeen, who are starting off their time as principals in the most disappointing way, need to listen to their staff and commit to ruling out compulsory redundancies before these disputes escalate into strikes with resulting disruption to students.”
The UCU represents over 120,000 academics, lecturers, trainers, instructors, researchers, managers, administrators, computer staff, librarians, technicians, professional staff and postgraduates in universities, colleges, prisons, adult education and training organisations across the UK.
The last UCU strike at the University of Stirling was in 2023, when UCU members protested against the University deducting staff pay after marking and assessment boycott.
A University of Stirling spokesperson said: “In an increasingly challenging and unpredictable external environment – where income generation and cost pressures are continuing to impact the entire UK higher education sector – strong financial stewardship and good governance remain essential.
“We are in regular dialogue with a range of stakeholders, including trades union representatives, as we maintain our focus on strengthening the University’s long-term financial sustainability and improving operational effectiveness in support of our strategic priorities.”
Featured image credit: Jonathan Boomer via Brig Newspaper
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