ENU lecturers to take fourth day of strike action, with no further movement on job securtiy.
Lecturing staff at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) are taking their fourth day of strike today (Friday), demonstrating their determination to protect jobs and oppose any move by the university to seek compulsory redundancies. Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers Association (EIS ULA) will be picketing again today and next week, maintaining their presence at the university’s three campuses. The continuing strike action highlights the concern among staff regarding the potential impact of the planned cuts on their and their colleagues’ jobs as well as on academic provision for students.
The EIS ULA remains resolute in its demand for the university to guarantee it will not move to compulsory redundancies and abandon its planned job cuts, arguing that the proposed cuts will have a devastating impact on the quality of education and research across ENU. Despite repeated calls to discuss a resolution to the dispute, university management has yet to respond, leading to the continuation of the strike by its members.
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said:
“EIS ULA members are demonstrating their strength and unity by standing with each other and opposing the university’s planned job cuts. Our members are continuing to take action today and next week and will do so until the university is willing to reach a suitable resolution to the dispute. We will take this action until ENU recognises the value of its staff and commits to protecting their jobs.”
Ms Bradley continued:
“Staff and students at the university deserve better. The university needs to open meaningful discussions with us to reach a suitable resolution. EIS ULA members do not want to be on strike but the university’s obstinance to reach an agreement is the reason that the programmed strike action continues. ENU has the ability to resolve the dispute, by ruling out compulsory redundancies and halting its programme of job cuts but are instead choosing to press ahead with their plans, resulting in staff being dismissed and the provision of learning and teaching being detrimentally affected.”
The EIS ULA has indicated that the strike action will continue through February and the beginning of March, with further strike dates beyond this being considered. The union continues to call on the university to reconsider its position and engage in constructive dialogue to resolve the dispute and prevent further disruption for students during a critical time of their studies.
For further information, please contact: comms@eis.org.uk
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