Lecturers at UWS move closer to strike vote

Lecturers and support staff at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) have moved closer to a formal vote on strike action over possible job losses.

Consultative ballots of EIS and Unison members have backed taking industrial action if necessary if there is no guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

The university had a deficit of £14.4m in 2023/24 and its governing body has agreed and £8.4m deficit for the current financial year.

The unions could now move to a statutory strike vote if there is no progress in talks about further cost-cutting measures. UWS said it was "disappointing that our recognised trade unions will not engage with us in relation to the ongoing organisational change project".

About 2,000 staff work at UWS which has sites in Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton, London and its largest campus in Paisley which has about 10,000 students.

The EIS said 85% of members who took part in the vote were prepared to take industrial action.

Assistant general secretary David Belsey said: "The members at UWS have collectively delivered a strong turnout and clear message to the university – no compulsory redundancies.

"This result should leave UWS management under no illusions about the strength of feeling amongst EIS ULA members and their willingness to take action to defend jobs."

UWS said previously that it was dealing with a "challenging financial environment" along with the rest of the higher education sector.

Senior management hope to return to a surplus in 2026/27 with proposals on how that could be achieved expected soon.

Unison members voted by 75% in favour of moving to a formal ballot for industrial action if necessary.

They will hold meetings with members next week to discuss the result and plans for moving forward.

A Unison spokesperson urged university management to continue discussions in good faith in order to avoid strike action.

A spokesperson said: "The strong mandate reflects members' deep concerns about the university's continued refusal—through official negotiating channels—to commit to a policy of no compulsory redundancies arising from the current organisational change process.

"This comes despite previous rounds of job cuts, a lack of meaningful consultation, and decisions that appear to bypass the university's own agreed procedures."

A UWS spokesman said it had invited the unions to "participate fully in the process from the outset – including granting additional facilities time".

They added: "There remains an open invitation for the recognised trade unions to return and contribute to the ongoing work to shape the future direction of the university.

"Given that we would welcome their contribution, we hope that they will reconsider their decision not to engage with us and, in the meantime, we will continue to seek to communicate and consult with them as this process continues."