Staff at two major Scottish universities, Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen and the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), walked out on Thursday, September 11, 2025, in a coordinated strike over the threat of compulsory redundancies. The action, organized by the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers’ Association (EIS ULA), marks a significant escalation in ongoing disputes over job cuts, with university management and union leaders locked in a tense standoff that has left students and local communities bracing for disruption.
The strike comes after months of mounting tensions. RGU confirmed on Wednesday that 188 roles had been lost as part of a cost-saving initiative, with about 10% of those redundancies being compulsory and the rest achieved through voluntary severance. This wave of cuts, part of the university’s Financial Transformation Project, was first announced in November 2024, when 135 jobs were declared at risk due to what management described as “significant financial challenges.” According to RGU principal Professor Steve Olivier, the cuts were largely driven by a sharp decline in international student enrollments, a trend that has put pressure on university finances across Scotland.
UWS, meanwhile, has announced plans to cut the equivalent of 75 full-time roles, citing a substantial reduction in funded places from the Scottish Funding Council. Since the 2022/23 academic year, UWS’s funded places have dropped from 12,735.3 to 10,850 for the coming year—a loss of more than 1,800 student places. Management insists these workforce changes are aligned with the funding reductions and are necessary to ensure the university’s long-term sustainability.
The strikes at RGU and UWS are not isolated incidents. On the same day, staff at the University of Edinburgh continued a five-day walkout over £140 million in planned budget cuts, with as many as 1,800 jobs reportedly at risk. The University and Colleges Union (UCU) is also balloting staff at the University of Highlands and Islands for potential industrial action, while staff at Dundee University have recently participated in similar protests. The wave of strikes highlights a sector-wide crisis, as Scottish universities grapple with falling revenue, underfunding, and shifting student demographics.
Union leaders have condemned the job cuts as “short-sighted.” Andrea Bradley, general secretary of the EIS, has been a vocal critic of the universities’ approach. “Our members are resolute in their fight to defend their jobs and protect the quality of education at RGU and UWS,” she said. “Staff are being forced to take strike action as neither university has made any attempt to resolve their respective disputes, instead deciding to push forward with plans to make staff redundant.” Bradley warned that the cuts would “no doubt have a detrimental impact on local communities, the students who study at these institutions and the colleagues who remain after staff have left or been dismissed.”
The strength of union feeling has been underscored by recent ballots. At UWS, more than 94% of EIS members voted in favor of industrial action, sending what the union described as “an unequivocal message” to management. RGU staff also delivered a similar mandate for action earlier this year. The EIS has repeatedly called on both universities to provide a guarantee against compulsory redundancies, but so far, management has refused to give such an assurance.
For university leaders, the situation is fraught with difficult trade-offs. A spokesperson for RGU emphasized the institution’s “continuing commitment to avoiding and minimising, wherever possible, any compulsory redundancies at the university.” The spokesperson added, “The university is continually evolving to meet the needs of our students, staff, and the wider sector. This means we must remain agile and responsive to changing circumstances, which like any organisation may involve further adjustments over time. Any such changes will be approached with care, transparency, and a commitment to minimising impact, guided by our shared goal of long-term sustainability and success.”
UWS has taken a similar line, with a spokesperson stating, “UWS remains committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies. As EIS colleagues know, a voluntary severance scheme is open, and it is hoped that this approach will avoid the need for compulsory redundancy. We remain in an ongoing consultation process with our recognised trade unions. Our approach has been transparent from the outset and our position regarding compulsory redundancies has remained unchanged.” The spokesperson also expressed regret that the industrial action would likely disrupt students at the start of the academic year, saying, “It is a matter of significant regret that the planned industrial action is highly likely to have a detrimental impact on our new and continuing students as they start a new academic year.”
The dispute has left students caught in the crossfire. In Ayrshire, where UWS has a significant presence, students have been warned to expect disruption throughout September and October, as the EIS has announced further strike dates. The university has pledged to “mitigate the impact of this reduction on staff” and to continue seeking solutions that avoid compulsory redundancies, but union officials remain skeptical.
At the University of Edinburgh, the stakes are even higher. According to the UCU, the institution—described as “one of the richest in the country”—could avoid job losses by drawing on its substantial reserves or scaling back on capital projects, rather than cutting staff. Principal and Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Mathieson has acknowledged the “serious and urgent financial challenges” facing the university and insisted that management has been transparent about the potential impact on staff and students.
The wider context for these disputes is a Scottish higher education sector under intense financial pressure. Falling international enrollments, reduced government funding, and rising costs have forced universities to make painful decisions. While management teams stress the need for “agility” and “long-term sustainability,” unions argue that job cuts will only undermine the quality of education and increase workloads for those who remain.
Despite the heated rhetoric, both sides say they are open to dialogue. The EIS has stated it remains ready to meet with senior management at UWS and RGU to find a suitable resolution. For now, however, the immediate future looks uncertain for staff, students, and the communities that depend on Scotland’s universities.
As the academic year begins, the sight of picket lines outside university gates is a stark reminder of the challenges facing higher education—not just in Scotland, but across the UK. With no quick resolution in sight, the coming weeks will test the resolve of all involved, as universities, unions, and students navigate a period of unprecedented upheaval.
