This morning, Management were given the opportunity to step back from the brink and work with the Unions at GCU to fight for more funding for Higher Education
The trade union representatives at GCU met with management this morning as part of the statutory consultation procedure.
The unions made an offer to management to take the threat of compulsory redundancies off the table to prevent a major escalation of the dispute.
This follows the example of Glasgow University who announced a moratorium on their cuts until after the formation of the new Scottish Government.
The Combined Union campaign has to this point mobilised hundreds of staff and students and garnered political backing. UNISON are currently balloting on the possibility of industrial action at GCU and the other unions could potentially follow.
In order to prevent an escalation of the dispute the unions have offered to suspend their action if compulsory redundancies are taken off the table. The full text of the offer can be seen below.
Here’s what the unions have offered:
The CUC acknowledges statements by GCU management that they wish to avoid compulsory redundancies. The actions of staff in the campus unions since the 90 day statutory redundancy process began has demonstrated their opposition to compulsory redundancies and their capacity for a protracted campaign to prevent them.
We would therefore like to make the following offer. If Management agrees to withdraw the threat of all compulsory redundancies the unions will suspend our campaign on campus and lift the threat of balloting for industrial action, where this has yet to occur.
We will further co-operate with management in arranging for a joint management and union delegation to the new Scottish government as soon as it is formed to seek a solution to the funding gap management assert exists.
This would allow management and unions to work together to solve the current crisis in GCU. The Management of the University of Glasgow has lifted its threat of compulsory redundancies until the new government takes office we believe GCU management should do the same.
We believe that our offer is the best hope of a settlement and the alternative is a sharp escalation of the Unions’ campaign.
We understand the Executive are meeting this week so would like a response to our offer by Tuesday 26th April.
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