Created on: 27 Apr 2026
The EIS ULA Branch at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) has announced it will be opening a statutory ballot for strike action this coming Friday.
This significant step comes as the union seeks a firm guarantee from GCU management that there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of the University seeking to cut up to 100 jobs at the institution. The ballot opens on Friday, 1st May 2026, and will close on Friday, 22nd May, 2026.
The decision to move to a statutory ballot follows a period of unproductive discussions with university management regarding the announcement that the institution is looking to cut 100 jobs to address an anticipated £10M deficit this academic year.
The union has consistently voiced concerns about the justification for these job losses when GCU holds large financial reserves. This led to a dispute being lodged by the EIS in March.
The EIS ULA believes that the University’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies poses a direct threat to the job security of its members, the quality of education being delivered for students, and will have a detrimental impact on academic choice and research at GCU.
Andrea Bradley, EIS General Secretary, condemned the University’s approach, saying, "It is deeply regrettable that Glasgow Caledonian University has chosen to make this large number of job cuts and pushed staff to the point of balloting for strike action.
"The threat of redundancies is a short-sighted and damaging strategy that will have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of dedicated staff, many of whom have worked at GCU for years.
"Furthermore, it will inevitably lead to a decline in the academic provision, research capacity, and overall student experience at the University. We urge GCU to step back from this path and engage meaningfully with the EIS-ULA to secure a no compulsory redundancy guarantee."
Naveed Hakeem, EIS ULA Branch Convener at GCU said, “Following the announcement on the 2nd of March that the University is seeking to cut 100 jobs, senior management at GCU have still failed to rule out the threat of compulsory redundancies.
"This is despite the cash reserves of GCU projected to reach a staggering £94 million by the end of this financial year, proportionally the second largest reserves in the Scottish HE sector.”
Mr Hakeem continued “The EIS-ULA branch at GCU has been clear with management - there are viable alternatives, the University has the financial resilience to adopt a phased stabilisation approach that allows time for recruitment trends and regulatory developments to become clearer before implementing irreversible structural changes to the workforce that will compromise the role of GCU in Scottish Higher Education.
"During this period, the threat of compulsory redundancies must be withdrawn.”
The EIS ULA branch at GCU has a strong mandate from its members to move to this statutory ballot, with a previous consultative ballot showing overwhelming support for strike action if a no compulsory redundancy guarantee were not secured.
Members are resolute in their commitment to protect jobs and ensure the continued excellence of GCU as a vital institution within the Scottish higher education landscape.
The EIS ULA calls upon GCU management to reconsider its position on any planned redundancies and enter into negotiations aimed at achieving a fair resolution to the current dispute that safeguards jobs and protects the future of the University.
The union remains committed to finding a negotiated settlement but will not hesitate to take industrial action if necessary to defend its members and the integrity of academic provision at Glasgow Caledonian University.