caledonianunion

Author: unionadmin

  • Notes from the Picket Line: A Field Guide to the Modern University Dispute

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    By An Extremely Tired Union Rep 06:12 – Awakening Wake suddenly from a dream in which the Vice Principal has announced a ‘further period of reflective consultation regarding the consultation process.’ Check phone. Sadly, not a dream. Three new emails marked:HIGH IMPORTANCE. One asks whether attending a rescheduled PAB during ASOS constitutes partial labour reconstruction.…

  • Tomorrow We Stand Together

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    Tomorrow, Wednesday 3rd June, UCU members at GCU begin strike action. Staff do not take this action lightly. Over recent months, members have engaged seriously with consultation processes, submitted detailed alternatives, supported colleagues and continued to do their work with professionalism and care throughout an extremely difficult period. Many members believe there is still a…

  • When “Necessary” Cuts Suddenly Become Negotiable

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    Over recent weeks, staff at Glasgow Caledonian University have lived with the possibility of compulsory redundancy hanging over colleagues, teams and services across the institution. Consultation documents presented sweeping proposals as financially necessary and unavoidable. Staff were told significant reductions were required, and that compulsory redundancies were unavoidable. Yet, following sustained pressure from staff and…

  • The Marketisation of the Civic University

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    There is something unsettling about reading a university research restructuring document that repeatedly speaks the language of “financial sustainability”, “income generation”, “strategic alignment” and “performance”, while saying remarkably little about knowledge, intellectual life or the civic purpose of research itself. Like many colleagues across UK higher education, I have now lived through years of restructuring,…

  • For the Common Good? Redundancies and the Hollowing Out of Support at GCU

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    Glasgow Caledonian University is moving towards compulsory redundancies in subjects including economics and history, as well as student support, with staff expected to enter formal selection and scoring processes in the coming weeks. But this is not simply a local staffing dispute. What is happening at GCU reflects a growing national crisis across UK higher…

  • Five points for Court to consider

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    The recognised trade unions have developed a joint response to the University’s consultation on the proposed Targeted Voluntary Redundancy Scheme. As Court members consider the future of the institution, there are several key points that deserve careful attention. 1. GCU is not in an immediate financial crisis GCU currently holds cash reserves of more than…

  • A Question for the University for the Common Good

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    Across the Scottish higher education sector, universities are facing real financial pressures. Changes in international student recruitment, rising costs and wider economic uncertainty have created difficult conditions for many institutions. Several universities have responded by consulting on workforce reductions. However, in recent months a number of institutions have stepped back from the use of compulsory…

  • Students raise their voice

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    Students from across the University have written an open letter expressing their concerns about the proposed redundancies and the potential impact on staff, teaching and the wider university community. The letter reflects the views of students who believe that cuts to staffing would affect the quality of education and the experience of studying at GCU.…

  • Do the numbers behind the proposals add up?

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    As consultation continues on the University’s proposals for redundancies and programme changes, staff across the institution are looking closely at the financial context behind them. Across the UK higher education sector, universities have warned of financial pressures linked to international student recruitment and rising operating costs. These pressures are often described in terms of projected future…

  • What questions are staff asking during this consultation period?

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    As the consultation on proposed redundancies and programme changes continues, staff across the University are reviewing the proposals and preparing responses that will be submitted through the consultation process. Consultation allows staff and unions to examine proposals in detail and to ask questions about how decisions have been reached and what their wider implications may…