Hundreds take voluntary redundancy at Edinburgh Uni

About 350 staff at the University of Edinburgh have accepted voluntary redundancy as part of a cost-saving effort.

In a letter to staff, principal Sir Peter Mathieson also confirmed academic promotions would be frozen for the 2025-26 period.

The university has claimed it needs to reduce costs by about £140m, but unions have called it a "manufactured crisis".

A ballot asking whether staff would consider going on strike is running until 20 May.

Prof Mathieson previously said there had to be a "radical re-wiring" of the way the university operates, suggesting the number and variety of courses could be cut.

He has previously refused to rule out the potential for compulsory redundancies.

In a statement, he said the 350 voluntary redundancies would save about £18m, with formal confirmation due on 30 April.

He said academic promotions would be paused "until we [the university] reach a more stable financial position".

"The university's voluntary severance scheme has concluded and around 350 staff will take voluntary severance, which will deliver year-on-year savings of approximately £18m," he said.

"Alongside recruitment constraints and a pause in academic promotions, further work will be needed to achieve a stable and sustainable staff base in the long-term and we are taking time to consider our approach.

"We appreciate that that this is causing uncertainty within our community. We are continuing to liaise with our joint trade unions and are providing regular updates as we take the necessary steps to ensure a financially sustainable future."

Answering a question in Holyrood on Thursday, universities minister Graeme Dey said the Scottish government and Scottish Funding Council would "engage closely" with the sector and offer appropriate support.

He said: "In line with our fair work principles, I expect universities to engage meaningfully with staff on the potential impact of their plans.

"My clear expectation is that universities work with staff to make every effort to protect jobs and avoid compulsory redundancies, which should always be considered as a last resort after all other cost-saving measures have been fully explored."

The University and Colleges Union (UCU) said the planned cuts were the "biggest ever" in the history of Scottish higher education.

The union said the university's £3bn worth of net assets made it one of the richest in the country and suggested savings could be made by cutting capital expenditure or using cash reserves.

Prof Mathieson claimed that was not possible and warned budget surpluses of £150m and £400m reported by the university in recent years were unsustainable.

Staff are being asked whether they would be willing to strike or take action short of a strike in the ballot.

Unison is also in the process of balloting staff on strike action - this will close on Friday.