Aberdeen strike action called off

Members of the University and College Union have agreed to call off strike action at the University of Aberdeen after management agreed to a moratorium on compulsory redundancies.

Academics had been due to walk out on 1 and 6 July in protest at the axing of 150 jobs as part of a £10.5 million savings plan. The university’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies had been particularly contentious.

Following negotiations with the UCU, however, the university has now agreed to put a proposal before its governing body on 30 June which would extend the voluntary redundancy scheme until November, and rule out any redundancies during this period.

Andrew MacKillop, the UCU representative at Aberdeen, said that planned industrial action short of a strike would also be called off.

“We’re delighted that the university has worked with us to find a way to withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies and that management will instead look to find savings from voluntary redundancies and natural staff turnover,” he said. “We will continue to work with the university in the coming months to seek alternative savings and allow staff to focus on their teaching and research rather than worrying about their jobs.”

Jeremy Kilburn, Aberdeen’s senior vice-principal, welcomed the “constructive” dialogue with the UCU.

“We remain committed to realising the ambition of our strategic plan to grow our position as one of the world’s leading universities and we look forward to working together to achieve this shared vision,” he said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com