University of West of Scotland to cut jobs in bid to save £6.2m

The University of West of Scotland (UWS) has announced it will seek to cut the equivalent of 75 full-time jobs in a bid to save £6.2m.

About 2,000 staff work at UWS which has sites in Paisley, Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and London.

The university posted a deficit of £14.4m in 2023/24 and its governing body has agreed an £8.4m deficit for the current financial year.

Unions had previously backed industrial action over the threat of compulsory job losses.

The EIS union, which represents academic staff, said it would now move towards a statutory ballot for strike action.

Catherine Clarke, EIS deputy branch secretary, said: “Staff are upset and very angry about the way they’ve been informed and the way it’s been handled.

“The joint trade union position is that there is no financial case for this.”

The unions will seek to restart discussions with university management in the coming days.

A UWS spokesperson said: “Our organisational change project is designed to put our university finances on a more sustainable footing, to enable an even better student experience and enhanced graduate outcomes.

“In common with the rest of the higher education sector across the UK, the university is operating in a very challenging financial environment exacerbated by external factors that have driven a significant change in the size and shape of our student population, and the associated funding.”

The university added that the consultation on post closures would last for a minimum of 45 working days.

Management hope to return to a surplus in 2026/27.

It is not yet known which types of jobs will be cut but it understood that a number of part-time roles could be reduced, pushing the final total over 75.