Created on: 22 Sep 2025
Lecturing staff at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) are on strike today in their third day of strike action with a fourth day planned for tomorrow, demonstrating their determination to protect jobs and oppose any move by the university to seek compulsory redundancies.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers Association (EIS ULA) are picketing again today and tomorrow, maintaining their presence at the university’s four campuses. The continuing strike action highlights the concerns among staff regarding the potential impact of the planned cuts on theirs and their colleagues’ jobs as well as the academic provision for students.
The EIS ULA remains resolute in its demand for the university to guarantee it will not move to compulsory redundancies and abandon its planned job cuts, arguing that the proposed cuts will have a devastating impact on the quality of education and research across UWS. Despite repeated calls for meaningful negotiations, university management has yet to make any response, failing to acknowledge the dispute which has led to the continuation of the strike by its members.
EIS National Officer for Higher Education, Garry Ross said "EIS ULA members are demonstrating their strength and unity by standing with each other and opposing the university’s planned job cuts. We are taking action again today and tomorrow, with our members continuing to do so, until the university is willing to reach a suitable resolution to the dispute. Our members will take this action until UWS recognises the value of its staff and commits to protecting their jobs."
He continued: “Staff and students at the university deserve better. The university needs to open discussions with us and acknowledge the dispute in order to reach a suitable resolution. EIS ULA members do not want to be on strike but the university’s obstinance to meet is the reason that the programmed action continues. UWS have the ability to resolve the dispute, by ruling out compulsory redundancies and halting its programme of cuts to courses but are choosing to ignore the unions calls to meet and negotiate.”
The EIS ULA has indicated that the strike action will continue September and October, with notice of further strike dates having already been sent to the university. The union continues to call on the university to reconsider its position and engage in constructive dialogue to resolve the dispute and prevent further disruption for students at the start of this academic year.