Industrial action at UoE: FAQs
On this page, you’ll find answers to questions staff may have about forthcoming industrial action in 2025.
The page will be regularly updated to address new concerns and forms of industrial action.
If you have a question that is not answered below, please e-mail: ucu@ed.ac.uk
Why are we striking on 20 June?
Senior management at the University of Edinburgh are determined to press on with reducing the University’s annual budget by £140 million over 18 months, despite the mounting evidence that this will cause severe damage to the University. We have initiated a local dispute to oppose compulsory redundancies at UoE, asking that they be ruled out during this period.
The Executive’s proposed £90 million savings on staff (the proportion of the £140 million to be saved from the budget for staff salaries) would be equivalent to around 1400-1800 redundancies. The harms are incalculable: to staff losing their jobs, to the health of remaining staff who will be asked to do more with less, to the student experience, to the quality of research and teaching, to the University’s reputation, and to the city of Edinburgh’s economy.
Why are we striking on Open Day (20 June) when we need student income to avoid redundancies?
Staff have tried numerous avenues to persuade Senior Management that this scale and pace of cuts would be needless and reckless. Management has refused to budge. On 20 May, elected members of Senate passed a historic Vote of No Confidence in Senior Management’s financial proposals, and the principal Peter Mathieson has been grilled by members of the Scottish Parliament’s Education Committee, including an unambiguous statement that the University is not currently in deficit. Yet they have still refused to change course.
Striking is our last resort.
There is little point striking on any other day in June. We need a day where our protests are visible and disrupts business-as-usual for senior management.
This is also a crucial opportunity to influence members of Court, who have responsibility for the University budget, who will be meeting to approve or reject Senior Management’s plans three days later on Monday 23 June.
Our messages to prospective students and their parents, and the media, will be positive: We love UoE – don’t let senior management destroy it! We want a good educational experience for future students!
We will have flyers to distribute to prospective students and their parents to inform them of management’s drastic and counterproductive cuts, and with an invitation to email the principal to join our protest.
Open Day is a Friday and I don’t work on Fridays – can I strike?
Yes! Such is the importance of good turnout on 20 June, the UCU is holding a rally as well as a strike. This means that everyone can and should join! You can also report non-working days as strike days, which will be counted in the tally of striking staff, as well as set an out-of-office response that you are striking.
I can’t come all day on Friday as I have e.g. caring responsibilities. What will be happening and when?
The main rally will be at 11am, to enable parents of school age children to come. For those who aren’t able to attend the rally, you should still strike, and say so in your out of office. You can show support from home by posting on social media, writing to your MP and MSPs if you have not done so already, and talking to your colleagues in advance about being on strike and encouraging them to join.
What shall I put in my automatic out of office responses?
SUGGESTION: I am on strike as a result of University of Edinburgh management’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. Staff cuts of £90 million have been proposed, undermining student learning conditions, staff job security, staff wellbeing and the future of quality higher education in the University.
I am not in UCU/not a member of any union: can I join the strike?
Yes! According to the law, in a ‘bargaining unit’ (in our case, our employer, UoE) where a strike has been legally called, any member of staff can join the strike. We encourage members of other unions to join us on strike. If you are not a union member, and want to join us, we strongly urge you to join a union before doing so, to ensure that you are protected if you face problems with your manager as a consequence.
If you have recently joined UCU and have provided the details requested on the UCU member application form, your UCU membership will be active from the date of application. This means that you are able to take part in any strike action while awaiting your membership card.
If you are not a union member, see the Joint Unions Liaison Committee for information about all recognised campus unions at UoE, and join today!
Joint Unions Liaison Committee
I am not a UCU member. Can I refuse to cross the picket line?
We ask everyone to respect the picket lines, whether they are a member of UCU or a member of another union. If you are eligible to join UCU we recommend that you join the union, on the picket line if necessary, and do not cross the picket line. We will support any member who is subject to disciplinary action for refusing to cross a UCU picket line. Individuals can join UCU at any point up to and including on the picket line on the day of strike action and lawfully participate in the strike.
This is my first time striking. What should I expect?
Expect camaraderie, good vibes, and a fair bit of standing around on the picket line. Dress for all weather. Bring water and snacks. Be polite and greet those going into the building, and chat about the strike if they stop to speak to you. If you’re nervous, arrange to meet someone on the picket, and if you don’t know anyone, post on one of the branch’s communication channels. If you’re professional services, especially in areas with few UCU members, there will be a meeting point for PS colleagues at one of the pickets; information will be sent soon.
Do I have to tell my employer in advance that I am taking industrial action?
No. It is often the case that management will send out emails/letters demanding that you declare in advance whether you will be taking industrial action. This can have the effect of misleading and intimidating members, and will enable your employer to minimise any disruption.
You are under no obligation to inform management in advance as to whether you will be taking part in strike action or action short of a strike. UCU will provide your employer with all the information about the action required by law including those categories of members who we are calling on to take action.
As noted above, once you are back to work following the strike action, you should respond truthfully to any query from your employer as to whether you have taken industrial action on specific days. You should not, however, respond to any such query while you are on strike.
How and when do I notify my employer that I’m on strike?
You do not need to notify anyone in advance of going on strike. If you are asked ahead of time if you will be working on a planned strike day, you do not need to answer, and we recommend not doing so.
After any strike action, management (usually in the form of an all-staff email from head of HR James Saville) will send instructions about reporting if you were on strike. There is usually a form that we fill in, and there will usually be a deadline to complete the form. Some people in the past have reported that their local HR colleagues asked them to confirm if they were on strike, you can decline to confirm and say you have followed the instructions sent by management, or ask them to clarify why they need to know in addition to the formal process.
Do I need to confirm that I’ve been on strike?
Yes. You could face disciplinary action if you’ve taken strike action and failed to report it. Also, reporting that you’ve been on strike is crucial to demonstrating the strength of our action. Management counts up how many staff have been on strike, to assess the risk of disruption posed by future strike action.
Will I lose money for participating in strike action?
Yes, your employer is entitled to deduct your pay if you participate in industrial action. For strike action, the union contends that any deduction should be at 1/365th of any annual salary or equivalent. For part-time staff or those employed on a session-by-session basis, deductions should only reflect the pay normally due for the work not undertaken and no more.
UCU members can perform their own calculations and estimate how much of their pay might be deducted, by using online tools such as The Salary Calculator. Members can insert their own tax code (which usually appears in their pay slips), student loan repayments, pension contributions (for example TPS or USS contributions), and other details. Please note that users may need to look under 'Additional Options' to obtain the 1/365th of annual salary or equivalent.
I’ve heard there’s a Hardship & Fighting Fund. What exactly is that?
The UCUE Hardship & Fighting Fund (HFF) is our branch’s way to support UCUE members who lose pay from participating in strike action. Following a strike, members can make a claim to get at least a portion of their lost pay back (it varies, depending on your grade, type of contract, etc.). We are still setting up the claims process, so please check back later - more information will be coming soon!
Can I make a donation to the Hardship & Fighting Fund?
Yes, please! We are currently running the HFF Fundraiser to replenish our kitty.
Rather than asking for a one-off donation, in this campaign we are asking you to make a commitment to a smaller, sustainable contribution over a period of 6 to 12 months. (Of course, we’re happy to accept one-off donations as well.) Any amount, whether £1, £5 or £50 per month, will go a long way to support our members!
Through the Hardship and Fighting Fund campaign, we want to raise £100k. That is about equal to 835 people donating £10 per month for the next 12 months. We are asking you to set up an ongoing monthly standing order to support your fellow colleagues in our collective fight.
Our bank information:
‘UCU Edinburgh University Hardship Fund’
Sort code: 60-83-01
Account No: 20392905
Please consider making a donation, especially if for any reason you’re unable to participate in other forms of industrial action. Activism has many faces!
I’m professional services and I’m not sure that striking will have any impact / I am the only person in my team who would be on strike
Even if you are one person, you add to the numbers that HR sees once it compiles the data on strike participation. Every person that joins contributes to this. On participation of professional services, the branch’s academic-related professional services (ARPS) network is preparing a document for PS staff that will be circulated soon.
Why is the University projecting a deficit in 2025-26?
The best way to answer this is to ask management. They have sought to explain this on their Finances SharePoint site, accessible to all staff. They claim that expenditure is growing faster than income, and thus they need to take radical action to cut expenses. Since a large proportion of the budget goes to paying staff salaries, they propose a big cut to staff to achieve their goal of reducing annual expenditure by £140 million over 18 months.
However, despite some degree of disclosure of financial information to the Joint Unions, UCUE’s negotiators still have not seen sufficient detail to assess management’s claims. Most notably, we have not seen the budget for the current financial year, or proposals for the next one, which will go to Court on 23 June.
The Joint Unions Finance Working Group has published nine posts analysing publicly-available financial information (see the ‘news’ section of this website). It is clear that overly ambitious capital expenditure, cost overruns and an assumption of endless growth in student numbers have put the University in this situation. It is also clear that some of the restructuring plans have been under consideration for some time, and management is profiting from the current ‘crisis’ to roll them out.
What is the union proposing as alternatives to redundancies as ways to address the University’s projected deficit?
In every meeting with management about the cuts, UCU Edinburgh has argued that UoE needs to reduce its capital spending. Over-ambitious capital spending is one reason for the University’s current financial position. This would be one way to reduce expenditure.
We also advocate that the University should use its very ample reserves to tide it over this period, rather than cutting jobs. UCU Scotland, and UCU branches in Scotland, are calling on the Scottish government to do what the Welsh government has done and call on universities to use their reserves to avoid redundancies.
Universities should consider using reserves to save jobs - minister (BBC News)
It is very difficult for the union, and others in the University community, to propose alternatives when we have limited access to the full picture of the UoE financial situation.
I am on a research-only contract. Is there any value to me participating in the strike?
Compulsory redundancies mean fewer posts in the future. Your group, institute or department is likely to have fewer opportunities for progression. Ongoing budget cuts have already reduced the number of opportunities for research staff: many Schools have further limited the number of fellowships research staff can apply for and negotiations for research staff being remunerated for their contributions to teaching and supervisions have been halted. Like all academics and professional services staff, this strike is about fighting for your job and those of your colleagues.
My salary is externally funded. If I go on strike, will the University still receive the funds—or is there another way that money could be used?
This depends on the funding source of your salary, but in general (for example for research grants) the University cannot recover salary funds they did not spend, so the money is ‘lost’. In some cases, the project lead can ask for permission to use those funds for something else within the project.
If you are a researcher—for instance a postdoctoral research assistant (PDRA), research associate or research fellow—although your funding might be from an external body, your contract of employment is usually with the university or college. In this case, if your branch is being called out on strike and taking action short of a strike (ASOS), you should join the industrial action. If you are directly employed by an external funding body or with a body that is not part of the current dispute over the threat of job cuts, you should not take action but try to arrange to work from home. If you need further advice contact UCU Edinburgh: ucu@ed.ac.uk or UCU’s Scotland office: scotland@ucu.org.uk.
I have annual leave booked on strike days. What should I do?
If your annual leave is essential, you should take it as planned and consider donating to the fighting fund or local strike fund. If your leave is not essential, you may wish to move it so that you can participate in industrial action alongside colleagues.
I will be working outside the United Kingdom during the strike, what should I do?
While the legal position varies depending on where you will be, UCU's advice is that, if you are working outside the United Kingdom on a strike day, you should work normally and donate to the fighting fund or branch strike fund. If you are due to travel as part of your work on a strike day, you should not do so.
I’m on a visa. Is it safe for me to strike?
This is the latest advice from the UCU Migrant Members Subcommittee:
Visa holder on a skilled worker or Global Talent visa, no dependents: can take all the called strike action, must ensure employer has accurate record of days of absence. If strike action will run over 10 continuous days, visa holder MUST notify before the 10th day – not after the action ends – as 10 continuous absences without a notification can trigger visa penalties.
Visa holder of a student visa (e.g. our PGR members): can take all the strike action, but can only withdraw labor from activities related to employment at the University. Activities related to their studies – e.g. classes they are taking – they are still required to attend.
Visa holder of a spousal or family visa: can take strike action up to the point that their salary for the year drops below the threshold for the relevant visa category. How many days of action that means will be highly individual and the union does not currently provide any tool for calculating it. Important to convey that there is no exemption to the income threshold for strike action on the family visa categories.
Visa holders on any category, or even UK citizens, who act as visa *sponsors* for dependent family members (e.g. children): can take strike action up to the point that their salary for the year drops below the threshold for the relevant visa category. How many days of action that means will be highly individual, but important to convey that there is no exemption to income threshold for sponsors whose income is reduced by strike.
If you are a Migrant Member, and you have a query, please contact our Migrant Members Rep Idil Akinci (Idil.Akinci@ed.ac.uk)
If I have external commitments on the day of industrial action, should I attend them?
If your external commitments arise from your employment with the institution where a strike is taking place, whether they are offline or online, then you should not fulfil them. For example, if you were due to attend a conference in your capacity as a lecturer at a strike-bound university you should not go.
What is the law on picketing?
The purpose of the picket is to persuade workers peacefully not to cross our picket lines i.e. not to go into work. Picketing is a legal activity and picketers should wear an armband indicating that they are on duty.
Picketing should be carried out at or near an entrance or exit from a site at which the pickets work; placards and posters should be displayed stating 'OFFICIAL PICKET'. When others who are not in dispute come into work or use these entrances or exits, pickets must not interfere with them. Please be sensitive towards students who may not be familiar with trade unions, industrial disputes, or picket lines. Note that it is a criminal offence for pickets to use threatening or abusive behaviour to people crossing the picket line. You can read UCU's picketing guidance here.
How will it affect my pension if I participate in industrial action?
Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS): members taking strike action will see their scheme membership 'paused', but the scheme rules allow for members and employers to keep paying into the scheme for these affected days. In previous strikes it has been the experience of UCU that most employers do continue to make pension contributions and therefore participation in strike action has not generally affected members' pension benefits. Should the employer choose to withhold contributions, the scheme rules are clear that continuity of membership is not broken but pension benefits will not accrue for the days in question when membership is paused.
What if I am on a phased return to work during industrial action?
If you are on full pay during a phased return to work, then deductions for strike action should be made at 1/365th of annual salary or equivalent.
If you are only being paid a percentage of your salary for your phased return to work, then UCU believes that any strike deduction must be pro-rata. Please contact your UCU branch for support in challenging any greater loss.
Am I breaking my contract by taking strike action?
All industrial action—other than 'working to contract' as part of action short of a strike—is a breach of your contract of employment. As UCU has carried out a statutory industrial action ballot and the action has been formally called, the law protects workers from dismissal while taking part in lawful industrial action or at any time within twelve weeks of the start of the action and, depending on the circumstances, dismissal may also be unfair if it takes place later. This kind of dismissal has never happened in higher education.