Unite members taking action against job cuts during graduations
 
Over 400 hundred members of Unite, working at the University of Strathclyde will take seven days strike action next week in response to proposed job cuts and a failure by the institution to consult on organisational change.
 
Strike action will start on Monday (16 March) and finish on Sunday (22 March). 
 
The action will directly impact on the operations of the university. Estates staff and security workers who ensure the integrity and safety buildings are involved in the action. 
 
There will also be no technicians in labs to support students and cleaners will be taking action resulting in no cleaning of university buildings, toilets, and student residences.  
 
In December, it was revealed that the university is set to slash 76 full-time posts, as a result of a £35m funding gap. Unite has condemned the university’s failure to fully consult unions over the planned cuts to jobs and not to rule out compulsory redundancies.
 
PICKETS & RALLY: Unite members will hold pickets from 08:00-11:00 on each week day with a rally expected to be held on Friday 20 March with details to be confirmed.  
 
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Strathclyde university can no longer hide from their cloak and dagger proposals to slash jobs. The university is in an overall healthy financial position and there is absolutely no need to attack workers.”
 
“Our members have been left with no option but to fight for their jobs, pay and conditions.”
 
Strathclyde university remains in a fundamentally healthy financial position with £478.4m of its net assets being “unrestricted”. This means resources are not ‘locked up’ and can be used in the event of any temporary financial downturn. Total reserves stood at £528.3m according to the University of Strathclyde’s Annual Report and Financial Statements for the 2024–25 financial year.
 
The former principal and vice-chancellor professor Sir Jim McDonald received a remuneration package of £428,000 in 2025 up from £417,000 in 2024, with a further £3.6 million divided between the university executive team. The newly appointed principal professor Stephen McArthur who took over the role in September is expected to have a similar remuneration package. 
 
Alison MacLean, Unite regional coordinating officer, said: “The university’s management team is choosing to attack its poorest paid workers. It now appears that in this rush to cut jobs they are not even following their own due processes.” 
 
“There remains exorbitant executive pay levels at Strathclyde and it’s not lost on our members that there are no proposals to attack this by management. That’s why our members have no option but to fight against such double standards and to take action to protect all jobs at Strathclyde.” 
 
Last March, strike action involving hundreds of Unite members at the University of Strathclyde took place for two weeks over what the union called a ‘shameful cash grab’ by the university to access a £85m pension surplus with university management claiming that the measure would prevent job losses.
 
ENDS
 
Notes to Editor
 
For media enquiries please contact Andrew Brady on 07810157922.
 
 
Unite Scotland is the country’s biggest and most diverse trade union with around 150,000 members.