Greens stand with Edinburgh University staff ahead of five-week strike
The Scottish Greens have expressed solidarity with University of Edinburgh staff who are set to begin five weeks of strike action on Monday 28 September.
University and College Union (UCU) members are striking over the threat of compulsory redundancies as the university pursues £140 million in cuts.
The university has also announced plans to close 90 programmes, including courses focused on teaching deaf and visually impaired learners.
Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens has lodged a parliamentary motion backing staff and raising concerns about the effect of the closures on students. The motion is supported by the party’s tertiary education spokesperson, Iris Duane MSP.
Scottish Greens spokesperson for Tertiary Education, Iris Duane MSP said:
“I stand with staff planning strike action. I am standing alongside them because like me, they care about students, and they know these cuts will damage the education they can provide.
‘Universities are public institutions, that should serve their staff and students, not cut back on our knowledge or potential’
“University staff and students have faced years of uncertainty. For an institution that has said it is not in deficit to pursue cuts on this scale is a slap in the face.
“The planned closure of courses that train teachers to support deaf and visually impaired learners especially shows what is at stake, these are not opportunities that students and communities can afford to lose.
“I stand with the UCU members in calling for University management to rule out compulsory redundancies, rethink the course closures and work with staff to find a way forward.”