Aquaculture cuts at Stirling net one-day walkout

Members of the University and College Union will picket the institution and hold a rally in Stirling city centre to protest compulsory redundancies in the university’s Institute of Aquaculture.

The UCU has accused management at Stirling of failing to consult properly with the union before deciding to axe 17 posts.

The university said the Institute of Aquaculture faced a budgetary deficit of £2 million that threatened its long-term survival unless action was taken.

However, the UCU said the budgetary system was not a fair way to evaluate the institute because its work is largely research-based.

It claimed that the university’s course of action will leave the institute with a larger deficit than was likely to be the case had it adopted the union’s proposals, which protected jobs.

Mary Senior, UCU Scottish official, said: “Tuesday’s strike should act as wake-up call to the university. Their argument for making these cuts simply doesn’t add up and will deprive the Scottish fish farming industry of a vitally important institute.”

Two-thirds of branch members voted in favour of industrial action on the issue.

A spokesman for Stirling said the university would remain open during the action. “All of our staff have been requested to work normally and thereby ensure that classes are held as scheduled,” he said.

hannah.fearn@tsleducation.com