Staff at two of Scotland’s leading universities have delivered a powerful mandate for industrial action, with lecturers overwhelmingly backing strikes in response to threats of compulsory redundancies, exposing the severe financial strains crippling the higher education sector.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Heriot-Watt University voted 74% in favour of strike action on a 70% turnout, with 87% supporting action short of a strike. At the University of Aberdeen, 83% backed strikes on a 60% turnout, with 90% in favour of action short of a strike, which can include working strictly to contract, refusing to cover for absent colleagues, or withdrawing from voluntary activities.
Heriot-Watt’s ‘Right-Sizing’ and a Lost Scholar
The confrontation at Heriot-Watt stems from a proposed “right-sizing” exercise that the union says could see at least 41 jobs lost at the university’s Scottish campuses and a further 10 in Malaysia. The UCU has also highlighted that the plans include ending the 25-year-old Scholar programme, which provides online learning to schools across Scotland. The university has refused to commit to preserving research time or rule out compulsory redundancies. This is not the first time the institution has faced such a clash; in 2020, strike ballots were held over plans to cut 130 jobs, with 77% of voting members then backing strike action.
Aberdeen’s Recurring Deficit Battle
At the University of Aberdeen, the dispute centres on planned budget cuts and management’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies, despite 40 staff having already left through voluntary severance or retirement. The university is implementing its “Adapting for Continued Success” (ACS) transformation programme, launched in October 2025, to tackle a deficit of £4.3 million for the 2024/25 academic year and aims to break even by 2028. According to union figures, the university has shed over 440 permanent staff in the two years leading up to January 2026 through voluntary redundancies and early retirements. This situation is a repeat of a recent standoff; in spring 2024, strikes were averted at the last minute after management backed down on planned compulsory redundancies.
A Sector in Financial Crisis
These disputes are set against a backdrop of intense pressure on Scottish universities, which are facing funding cuts of approximately 20% over six years, declining income from international student fees, and rising operational costs. The sector’s funding model, which supports free tuition for Scottish students, leaves institutions heavily reliant on volatile international student income. The vulnerabilities are stark: the University of Dundee required a government bailout exceeding £40 million, the University of Edinburgh is planning £140 million in cuts, and Robert Gordon University has seen its international student numbers halve. UK government increases to National Insurance are estimated to add a further £45 million in costs to Scottish higher education institutions in the 2025-26 financial year.
Kate Sang, Heriot-Watt UCU president, said the vote showed “the strength of feeling against these cuts and the jobs that senior managers want to lose.” She warned that “cuts to research provision will harm not only the university’s reputation, but the development of cutting-edge knowledge to address society’s big challenges.”
Dan Cutts, Aberdeen UCU branch co-chairman, stated that staff were under pressure and “working harder than ever” and that management’s plans threatened “the student experience, the workforce and to the breadth of research.” He urged the new principal, Professor Edwards, to “show that he wants to work with staff and the unions, and rule out the use of compulsory redundancies.”
UCU General Secretary Jo Grady described the situation at Aberdeen as “unbelievable,” noting it was back in this position just two years after being forced to back down. She urged the principals of both universities to engage in talks and rule out compulsory redundancies to avoid escalation during a busy time of year.
A University of Aberdeen spokesperson said the “continued challenges and financial pressures” testing the UK higher education sector meant change was necessary, and that the ACS programme would deliver a “more resilient, relevant and sustainable university.” They expressed disappointment at the prospect of industrial action, stating students would be those most affected. Heriot-Watt University had been approached for comment at the time of the announcement.
Union members at both universities are now set to decide on their next steps, with the clear ballot results providing a strong mandate for action if negotiations fail.
