We are the University and College Union (UCU) Branch for the University of Glasgow.

For updates and news, check out our blog.

If you want to get in touch with us, have a look at this page. 

VOTE NOW! Ballot open Oct 6-Nov 10, 2026

We are concerned by messaging coming from Senior Management about alleged financial difficulties at the institution.

Senior management has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies or guarantee the return of promotions on an annual basis, on no less favourable terms than last year.

But the university holds £1.3 billion in unrestricted reserves. Going ahead with cuts is not a necessity, but a political choice by management. You can read the union’s analysis of university finances here.

We have therefore begun a statutory ballot to gain a mandate for strike action and action short of strike. The ballot will run from 6th October to 10th November. We would be delighted if we are never forced to use the mandate. But we feel we have been left with no choice other than to assume that severe cuts are coming.

There is power in a union. We have successfully won significant victories for our members. In the year 2022/3, Senior Management at the University of Glasgow introduced damaging changes to make promotion harder for many staff, breaking our formal agreement with the university on consultation and negotiation. After a formal notification that we were initiating a dispute, Senior Management withdrew the changes.

You may also know that the employers nationally supported cuts to our USS pension scheme citing economic difficulties. However, industrial action by the union over five years delivered the restoration of our pension on even more favourable terms than before in October 2023.

The more of us there are in the union, the stronger position we will be in, and the greater the likelihood that senior management will listen. If you’re not already a member, please consider joining: https://www.ucu.org.uk/join.