Staff at the University of Aberdeen have today backed strikes in a dispute over plans to end single-honours degrees in modern languages and put 30 staff at risk of redundancy.
In the ballot of UCU Scotland members, 80% of those who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 60%.
On 30 November, the same day that the Scottish Government launched its Scottish languages bill, the university announced a consultation with proposals to end single honours degrees in French, Gaelic, German, and Spanish; to end both single and joint honours degrees; or to end all language degree programmes. At the time, amidst widespread criticism, UCU general secretary Jo Grady called the proposals 'academic vandalism'.
After a campaign by the union, staff and students and criticism from European consulates, the university backtracked and on 12 December decided to pull two of the options but to press ahead with the plan to end single-honours languages degrees at Aberdeen. The union said that this plan remained unacceptable as the threat to modern languages research and the possibility of compulsory redundancies are still in place.
