Latest news with #OpenDay
Scotsman
a day ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh University staff on strike over threatened £140 million cuts which could mean 1,800 job losses
Edinburgh University staff are on strike today in the first of a series of walk-outs over plans for £140 million of cuts and a refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Members of the University and College Union (UCU) were mounting picket lines across the university and holding a rally in George Square. The union estimates that £140m cuts could see 1,800 staff lose their jobs. It said the cuts would be the biggest ever made by a university in Scotland, and claimed the university had not made the case for why they were pursuing such massive cuts while, at the same time, planning record capital expenditure. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A UCU Scotland rally at the Scottish Parliament earlier this year against threatened job cuts | Lisa Ferguson The union argued there were other areas where the university could make savings that did not involve cutting staff numbers and damaging the teaching and research which are central to the university's mission. For example, the union said senior management recently announced plans to spend £400,000 on public relations and media consultants, and the university regularly appeared near the top of rankings on principals' and senior staff pay. Today's stoppage, timed to coincide with a university open day, follows a ballot where 84 per cent of UCU members at the university voted for strike action and 93 per cent to back action short of strike. The turnout was 60 per cent. UCU members overwhelmingly rejected a last-minute management offer to avert the strike as too little, too late with 92 per cent voting to reject. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Further strike action is planned for the start of the new academic year in September. And UCU members will also take part in action short of strike, including working to contract and boycotting administrative work relating to implementing the cuts. The union is also considering a marking and assessment boycott as well as telling members not to use their personal devices for work. But it said it was holding off escalation of the dispute to give senior managers the opportunity to end the dispute by ruling out compulsory redundancies. Sophia Woodman, president of the Edinburgh University UCU branch, said: 'Taking strike action is the very last thing UCU members at Edinburgh want to do but the decision of the principal to press ahead with huge cuts and the refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies has simply left us no choice. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'University staff are worried about the future and whether they'll have a job this time next year. We are striking on Open Day to sound the alarm about the future of research and teaching at the university, because we care deeply about the quality of education we provide to our students. 'Staff are stunned to see university senior management pressing ahead with plans to spend vast sums on public relations consultants and increase spending on buildings while cutting the staff who teach students and carry out world leading research. Even at this late stage it's not too late for the university to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies and end this dispute.' A university spokesperson said: 'Open Day is a hugely important event in our calendar, and we are delighted to be welcoming thousands of potential students to our campus. While we respect colleagues' right to take part in industrial action, we are doing our utmost to keep any disruption to a minimum.'
STV News
2 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Edinburgh University staff strike in dispute over threat of job cuts
Staff at the University of Edinburgh are set to strike over threatened job cuts amid plans to slash £140m from its annual budget. Members of University and College Union (UCU) will be on picket lines across the university in the first of series of strikes on Friday, a scheduled Open Day for prospective students. A rally will also be held from 11am on George Square in Edinburgh. Staff at the university will also take strike action at the start of the new academic year in September. The union said that cuts of £140m would amount to the biggest cuts ever made by a university in Scotland and could see up to 1,800 staff lose their jobs. The strike follows a ballot where 84% of UCU members at the university voted to back strike action and 93% to back action short of strike. The turnout was 60%. UCU members overwhelmingly rejected a last-minute management offer to avert the strike, with 92% voting to reject. UCU members will also take part in action short of strike, including working to contract and boycotting administrative work relating to implementing the cuts. The union is also considering a marking and assessment boycott as well as telling members not to use their personal devices for work. Chiefs say they are holding out on escalating the dispute to give senior managers the opportunity to rule out compulsory redundancies. The union said it was keen to work with senior management to try and find alternative savings to job cuts that were less detrimental to the university and the student experience. Sophia Woodman, president of the Edinburgh University UCU branch, said: 'Taking strike action is the very last thing UCU members at Edinburgh want to do but the decision of the principal to press ahead with huge cuts and the refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies has simply left us no choice. 'University staff are worried about the future and whether they'll have a job this time next year. We are striking on Open Day to sound the alarm about the future of research and teaching at the university, because we care deeply about the quality of education we provide to our students. 'Staff are stunned to see university senior management pressing ahead with plans to spend vast sums on public relations consultants and increase spending on buildings while cutting the staff who teach students and carry out world leading research. Even at this late stage it's not too late for the university to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies and end this dispute.' Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: 'UCU members at Edinburgh are striking to save jobs and to guarantee the future of the university. 'Peter Mathieson has been warned often enough about the impact his cuts will have on staff, students and the university's reputation but the refusal not to rule out compulsory redundancies means that the fault for this strike going ahead lies firmly at his door.' A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: 'Open Day is a hugely important event in our calendar, and we are delighted to be welcoming thousands of potential students to our campus. 'Visitors will get a taste of what classes might be like, see accommodation options as well as experiencing the city itself. 'While we respect colleagues' right to take part in industrial action, we are doing our utmost to keep any disruption to a minimum and have endeavoured to keep those planning to attend well informed.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Fascinating sites opened to public through Scotland Digs 2025 campaign
Now in its seventh iteration, the national campaign coordinated by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland's Dig It! project begins on Friday 20 June 2025 to promote opportunities for the public to engage with archaeology this summer. Titled 'Meeting People', this year's theme is raising awareness of the wellbeing benefits of archaeology, both in terms of learning about people from the past and connecting with other individuals at the events. Surveying, recording, excavation and more will take place in urban and rural areas coordinated by a range of organisations across the country, with many sites welcoming the public with free tours, open days and volunteering opportunities - no experience required. Volunteers will be able to get involved (Image: Shahbaz Majeed) Dr Jeff Sanders FSAScot, Head of Outreach at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, said: 'A growing number of studies are showing that archaeology can have a positive impact on wellbeing. 'The results of archaeological investigations can help us feel connected to the past, giving a sense of both perspective and appreciation of the places we live in and visit. But actually getting involved in fieldwork is also richly rewarding and offers the chance to connect to others. 'These connections, whether to people from thousands of years ago or to fellow volunteers on site, is what our 'Scotland Digs 2025: Meeting People' campaign is all about.' In Fife, the Monastic Archaeology Field School is excavating the 12th-century Lindores Abbey, which has a long tradition of distilling. Students from Global St Andrews Summer School are addressing research questions relating to the surrounding landscape and the use of water, including its environmental impact. From 21 June to 4 July, the public can visit from Wednesday to Friday between 11am and 3pm, including on their Open Day on 3 July which will feature site tours and a showcase of the finds. Throughout the summer, the public can also contact Archaeology Shetland to help survey what remains of Shetland's meal roads. This network of roads was created as part of a famine relief scheme in the mid-1800s where residents - including children - received meal (coarse flour) in exchange for their labour. The projects are probing several sites (Image: Shahbaz Majeed) On 23 August, the public are also invited to help record a large and complicated 19th-century crofthouse. Between 24 June and 8 July, the University of Glasgow and the National Trust for Scotland are investigating an early modern township in Glencoe to uncover how the communities built relationships with their landscape and managed their resources. The campaign continues in September, with the 1722 Waggonway Heritage Group returning to the East Lothian site where remains of Scotland's earliest railway were discovered in 2021. They want to learn more about this wooden track, which was constructed over 300 years ago to bring coal from Tranent to the salt pans and harbour at Cockenzie and Port Seton. The public can drop in to visit or help at the excavation on 5 and 6 September or enjoy a tour on 7 September. Rock Art is central to one of the projects (Image: T Burnett) From 18 to 20 September, Stirling Council's Archaeologist Dr Murray Cook FSAScot and Fintry Museum will be digging at Balgair in Stirlingshire, a site with a history thought to span 4,000 years. Their work began in 2024 with the hunt for a medieval village that vanished around 1800, although quartz artefacts and LiDAR images of prehistoric houses and a possible hillfort suggest that the site was also occupied thousands of years earlier. The public can register to join the dig and help continue the investigations. Finally, in September, Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust are also running a community excavation of prehistoric rock art near Aberfeldy, which was created over 5,000 years ago. The excavation aims to enhance understanding of the carvings, their relationship to the surrounding landscape, and of Scotland's rock art more widely - while promoting community engagement and raising public awareness. The public is invited to register to help with the dig or drop by the Open Day, the details of which will be announced soon. Dr Susan O'Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said: "Doing archaeological fieldwork allows people to get up close and personal with their historic environment, fostering a sense of pride and connection to the past. 'The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland's Dig It! project is a wonderful way for members of the public to learn about their heritage, from Shetland's meal roads to Scotland's earliest railway in East Lothian.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Edinburgh academics strike over £140m funding cuts
Academics will take to picket lines surrounding the university this morning, and a rally will be held in the city's George Square at 11AM. The strikes are intended to disrupt the university's annual Open Day, where prospective students and their families will visit the Old College campus. Additional pickets are set to be carried out between 8-12 September as students return from the summer holidays. Bosses at the university aim to reduce spending by £140m. (Image: Newsquest) Sophia Woodman, president of the Edinburgh University UCU branch, said: 'Taking strike action is the very last thing UCU members at Edinburgh want to do but the decision of the principal to press ahead with huge cuts and the refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies has simply left us no choice. 'University staff are worried about the future and whether they'll have a job this time next year. We are striking on Open Day to sound the alarm about the future of research and teaching at the university, because we care deeply about the quality of education we provide to our students. Woodman added: 'Staff are stunned to see university senior management pressing ahead with plans to spend vast sums on public relations consultants and increase spending on buildings while cutting the staff who teach students and carry out world leading research. Even at this late stage it's not too late for the university to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies and end this dispute.' Read more: 'It was clunky at best': Edinburgh University pulls 'don't be snobs' guidance Edinburgh University could cut 1750 staff jobs, claims union Edinburgh University at risk of lawsuit over policy to make all toilets mixed-sex University principal Peter Mathieson, who recently told MSPs he was not sure how much money he made, has also come under fire. Asked by Education Committee convenor Douglas Ross to confirm his salary, Mathieson was unable to do so, quipping: 'I don't carry that figure round in my head. I recognise that I'm very well paid. 'You could pay the senior team of the University of Edinburgh nothing and that would make largely no difference to the size of the expenditure challenge we face.' UCU General Secretary Jo Grady UCU General Secretary Jo Grady has also hit out at the chief executive, who makes around £418,000 a year. She said: 'Peter Mathieson has been warned often enough about the impact his cuts will have on staff, students and the university's reputation but the refusal not to rule out compulsory redundancies means that the fault for this strike going ahead lies firmly at his door.' A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: 'Open Day is a hugely important event in our calendar, and we are delighted to be welcoming thousands of potential students to our campus. Visitors will get a taste of what classes might be like, see accommodation options as well as experiencing the city itself. "While we respect colleagues' right to take part in industrial action, we are doing our utmost to keep any disruption to a minimum and have endeavoured to keep those planning to attend well informed.'
Business News Wales
4 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
HDM Solar Strengthens Wales Presence with New Port Talbot Hub
Renewable energy products supplier HDM Solar is set to open a new branch in Port Talbot, bringing around 10 new jobs to the area. Located at Unit 21, Baglan Energy Park, the new branch forms part of HDM Solar's £10.2 million investment to establish a nationwide network of 60 sites. The 17,500 sq ft premises will include a 6,000 sq ft bonded storage facility, currently under construction ahead of the July opening. With its head office in Hull, HDM Solar has recently opened new branches in Bournemouth and Basildon, and the addition of Port Talbot further strengthens the company's presence in Wales and the West. HDM Solar supplies solar power systems and electric vehicle (EV) chargers. The business serves a range of trade customers and businesses. Callum Emery, Manager of HDM Solar's Port Talbot branch, said: 'We're excited to be launching our Port Talbot branch this summer. This area has a proud industrial legacy and enormous potential to lead in the green energy transition. We look forward to working closely with local installers, businesses and communities to deliver reliable, high-quality renewable energy solutions.' Adam Firth, Group CEO of HDM Solar, added: 'Our expansion into Port Talbot is about more than just opening a branch – it's about investing in communities, supporting the shift to renewable energy, and creating sustainable jobs where they're needed most. We're proud to be part of a green future for Port Talbot and excited to build long-term partnerships with local businesses and installers.' An official Open Day is planned to mark the branch opening on July 18. In attendance will be a number of local dignitaries, including Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberafan Maesteg. Local businesses, installers, and members of the public are invited to register their interest and attend. In addition to its wholesale operations, HDM Solar is part of a wider group that includes HDM Energies, a sister company offering commercial solar solutions.
