BBC Scotland, Aberdeen
BBCLecturers at Robert Gordon College (RGU) in Aberdeen have gone on strike over redundancies.
RGU introduced in November that extra redundancies could possibly be made after 130 workers left via a voluntary severance scheme final 12 months. It hopes there can be fewer than 60 additional redundancies.
Instructing union the EIS mentioned its members had been left with “no different possibility” however to take strike motion, vowing extra strikes in Might and September.
The college’s principal mentioned selections have been “tough however obligatory” because the sector faces excessive challenges.
It comes amid industrial motion on the College of Dundee over lots of of deliberate job cuts, whereas there’s additionally a poll beneath approach amongst workers on the College of Edinburgh.
RGUThe EIS mentioned 83% of RGU workers who voted had backed the transfer.
EIS nationwide officer for greater training Garry Ross mentioned: “They’re combating to guard their jobs, the roles of their colleagues, and to safeguard the way forward for high quality training at RGU.”
Additional strikes are deliberate on 1 Might and seven Might, with extra motion deliberate for the week of 8-12 September.
The EIS is urging the college to decide to discovering options to obligatory redundancies.
Professor Steve Olivier, principal and vice-chancellor, mentioned RGU had to make sure the establishment was ready to be long-term financially sustainable.
“Towards what continues to be an especially difficult sector context, the actions which have been taken thus far have been tough however obligatory,” he mentioned.
“The college will proceed to make each effort to mitigate obligatory redundancies which can at all times stay a final resort.”
He expressed disappointment on the strike motion, including: “The college will stay in common and constructive dialogue with the EIS, and different trades union our bodies.”
The College of Dundee is battling to deal with a £35m deficit and beforehand introduced that 632 positions can be lower.
Earlier this month, the Unite union mentioned members can be balloted on strike motion following studies the establishment may lower as much as 700 jobs.
In February, some workers started three weeks of strike motion.
The College and Faculty Union (UCU) Scotland mentioned that 74% of its members had backed the walkout, on a turnout of 64%.
And workers on the College of Edinburgh are additionally being balloted on strike motion in a dispute over plans to chop £140m from its finances and fears of obligatory redundancies.
