Aberdeen University staff to vote on industrial action
Staff at Aberdeen University are to begin a vote on industrial action.
The University and College Union will send ballot papers out to their members starting tomorrow - after the University has refused to rule out compulsary redundancies. This is despite the University making £8m of savings.
The ballot will be the second time this year that members have been asked to take industrial action over redundancy proposals.
In a previous ballot in June, members ovoted in favour of strike action, but it was called off after managers agreed not to make compulsary redundancies over the summer, and to find alternative savings.
However, the University has said they need to make a further £1.5m in savings over the next year. Dr Andrew Mackillop, Aberdeen UCU representative, said: "Nobody wants to take industrial action but having had an agreement for no compulsary redundancies, to see university managers now moving ahead with plans to make staff redundant leaves us with no option but to ballot.
"Aberdeen UCU has worked hard over the summer with the employer to help identify the savings the University say are necessary. To now go ahead with plans to sack staff, having praised them in September beggars belief. We are asking the University to continue talking and to commit to no compulsary redundancies."