University staff to strike in dispute over job cuts and compulsory redundancies

Staff at a Scottish university are to take industrial action on Thursday in a dispute over job cuts.

More than 50 staff at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) will strike over job cuts and for the university refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies.

The cuts, according to Unite the Union, are in response to a £33 million drop in income over the last two years, which the union said has come as a result of a dip in the number of international students at the university.

However, Unite said the university retains a substantial cash reserve, with the employer’s latest published accounts reporting an underlying surplus of £12.6 million in 2024-2025 and £88.9 million in cash at the end of July 2025.

Unite claimed the university would be forced to “close its doors and lecture rooms” as a result of the strikes – but GCU disputed this, stating only the library will shut for a time.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Glasgow Caledonian University’s attack on jobs, pay and conditions is unnecessary and a vindicative choice by its management.

“Our members have been left with no option but to fight back against these unnecessary cuts.”

Alison MacLean, Unite regional co-ordinating officer, added: “This is historic. It is the first time all campus unions have collectively taken industrial action at Glasgow Caledonian, it demonstrates the strength of feeling among the workers.

“We want a guarantee that nobody will be forced out of the door, but the university’s management has refused to rule this out.

“The joint action will force the university to close its doors and lecture rooms. That is a sad position for the workers and students to be in but that’s a situation the university has brought upon itself.”

The university said the number of roles at risk sits at 40, and that no compulsory redundancies have been made as yet.

The employer said it has worked with Unite and other unions to find alternatives that can be agreed upon, including a mutual severance scheme and vacancy rationalisation.

It said no alternative proposals have been presented by Unite or any other trade unions.

A spokesperson for the university said: “The GCU campus is not set for closure, although we will regrettably have to close the library at 6pm.

“It is disappointing that the unions continue to request that we spend our finite reserves, and remove the potential for compulsory redundancies for the dispute to be resolved.

“The reduction in recurrent income means that this would be irresponsible as it fails to grapple with the long-term structural issues we need to fix.

“Like many universities, we have to make undeniably difficult decisions in the face of a challenging financial climate for higher education.

“We wouldn’t be proposing redundancies unless they were absolutely necessary for the future of the university.

“We have offered to meet union reps to resolve this dispute and find a way for us all to move forward.”

Unison Glasgow Caledonian University branch secretary Davena Rankin said the “unprecedented” sight of all four recognised unions taking strike action together for the first time in GCU’s history reflects the “depth of concern about the threat of compulsory redundancies”.

“Staff don’t want to be on picket lines. They want to be supporting students, delivering services and contributing to the success of the university they care deeply about,” Ms Rankin said.

“Unison remains committed to finding a resolution and remains ready to negotiate.

“The university should rule out compulsory redundancies. Then we can begin the work of rebuilding trust, ending industrial action and securing a sustainable future for staff, students and the university.”