Created on: 07 Oct 2025
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers’ Association (EIS ULA) at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) are today taking their seventh day of strike action over the university’s intent to make a large number of academic and academic-related staff redundant, with an eighth day of strike action scheduled for tomorrow.
The action being taken today and tomorrow is a further demonstration of the determination and fortitude of staff in fending off the job cuts being proposed at UWS. Members are not only fighting for the job security they deserve, but to also preserve the variety of course provision offered, and quality of education delivered, to students at the university.
The EIS continues to call for a no compulsory redundancy guarantee for staff at UWS. A commitment from the university on a guarantee would see further interruption to the start of the academic year for students being avoided. However, the management at UWS has failed to meet with EIS representatives since the strike action began on Thursday 11th September, prolonging the necessity for members to continue striking and resulting in serious disruption to learning and teaching.
Garry Ross, EIS National Officer for Higher Education, said, “The ongoing strike action at UWS today and tomorrow only serves to demonstrate how resolute our members are when it comes to fighting for the job security they deserve and to protecting the quality of the education students have come to expect at the university. If the number of job losses being proposed go ahead, it will no doubt lead to an increase in workload for already overworked staff, a reduction in the variety of courses available and a decline in the quality of education delivered to students.”
He added “Our members would prefer to be doing what they do best- delivering high quality education to students and supporting them as only they know how. However, the reluctance of management at UWS to engage in talks with the EIS and resolve this dispute has resulted in our members continuing their strike action, meaning they are unable to do their vital work in support of students during this crucial time at university. There needs to be a willingness by the university to hold meaningful discussions, with the aim of reaching a fair outcome for everyone involved.”
The EIS remains committed to seeking job security for its members and ensuring the academic integrity and provision at the University of the West of Scotland is preserved. The union calls on the university to reconsider its position and engage in constructive dialogue to resolve the dispute and prevent further disruption.