Professional services staff at Glasgow Caledonian University are set to strike for a week as the charity restructures.
IT teams, security and admin workers at the university will walk out from 4 September, as the academic year begins.
UNISON fears up to 100 jobs are at risk of compulsory redundancies from the university’s restructure, which was announced earlier this year.
A spokesperson for the university said it faced “significant financial pressures, principally because of a reduction in international student recruitment”.
They said the organisation, registered as a charity with Scottish regulator OSCR, aimed to secure the its long-term financial future and had been discussing the restructure with the union since the spring.
“We have prioritised voluntary measures for redundancy, redeployment opportunities and other mitigations throughout this process,” they said. “However, at this stage, we cannot rule out compulsory redundancies.”
UNISON branch secretary Davena Rankin argued that staff cuts were unnecessary due to millions held by the university as assets and a recent land purchase.
“Strike action is always a last resort, especially during the busiest time of the year. The last thing staff want to do is cause disruption to students who are finding their feet, but they feel forced to take a stand against these reckless cuts,” she said.
“Axing up to 100 jobs will severely damage student support systems and create needless anxiety for the dedicated workforce. The university must stop hoarding cash and buying up land, and instead start investing in the education and welfare of its students.”
The university’s spokesperson added: “We are putting plans in place to minimise disruption and maintain services across our campuses throughout the period of industrial action.”
According to its latest accounts, the university employed 1,430 people in the 12 months to July 2025, recorded an income of £171m and expenditure of £159m, and held net current assets of £61.1m at the end of the year.
