WORKERS at the University of Aberdeen will vote on strike action, their union has revealed, as they continue to oppose its “embarrassing” plans to cut courses and jobs.
On December 12, the university’s ruling body, the court, backed management plans to slash modern-language provision and end single-honours language courses at Scotland’s third oldest university.
The decision came in the teeth of strong opposition not only from workers who feared job losses but from students, foreign governments and the university’s own senate, which is responsible for academic standards.
French, German, Spanish and Italian consulates to Scotland wrote to the university, joining the 15,000 signatories to a petition calling for modern languages at the institution to be spared the axe.
Members of the University & College Union (UCU) at Aberdeen will have until February 7 to decide if they should back their union’s calls for strike action to protect the courses and the 30 jobs that could be at stake.
Aberdeen University UCU branch chairwoman Dr Rachel Shanks said: “Modern languages is a key part of any university.
“For an ancient institution with the history and reputation of Aberdeen, to consider this move is frankly embarrassing.
“It’s clear that this is just the start of senior management’s plans.”
Dr Shanks said it is important that the workers send a clear message that they do not accept the need for job losses and that the union will stand behind and support any member whose job is threatened.
She said: “It’s clear that senior managers at the university are ignoring their own students, staff and senate and bringing into question the nature of the way the university is managed.
“It’s time the university principal and senior managers listened to staff and students.”
A University of Aberdeen spokesperson said: “We understand many people care passionately about languages, but in a challenging financial period for many universities, the high cost of running programmes with an average in each of just one new student a year is unsustainable.
We are engaging constructively with colleagues, students and UCU.”
