North-east academics staged a walk out of the region’s universities yesterday as part of a nationwide dispute over pay and conditions.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) voted to go on strike after wage rise talks with the Universities and Colleges Employer Association (UCEA) collapsed.
The UCEA had offered a 1.1% pay rise to union bosses but this was rejected.
And yesterday, members of Aberdeen University and the Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) unions picketed on both campuses, for two hours from 8.15am.
RGU’s striking staff stood outside the Sir Ian Wood building with placards and leaflets.
Dr Lesley McIntosh, honorary secretary of the RGU branch said: “It was pretty cold, but the fact it was quite quiet means we assume we were successful as people were staying away.”
The strikers were also protesting against the gender pay gap and what they claim is the ongoing “casualisation” of staff.
Dr McIntosh added: “Many university staff are on zero hours contracts which means they don’t have a proper contract of work.
“They are only being taken on for a year or less than a year which is not good for them or the students.”
The staff will picket again later this morning.
Both universities have said they have not been disrupted.
A spokeswoman for RGU said: “UCU only organises a small proportion of RGU staff but as in all such events, we will endeavour to ensure that our students and other partners are affected as little as possible, while respecting the right of union members to participate in such action should they choose to do so.”
Last night, a spokeswoman for Aberdeen University said: “As expected, only a small percentage of University of Aberdeen staff have participated in the national strike action today and the University of Aberdeen has continued to operate with no disruption to students.”
