News Naidheachdan

[Karen Elder – Neach-aithris] Sin uile ri thighinn ma tha. Nise, chaidh luchd-obrach aig tri fichead Oilthigh ’s a’ cheithir-deug air feadh na Rìoghachd Aonaichte air stailc an-diugh. Tha an t-Aonadh an UCU agus Aonadh nan Oilthighean agus Colaistean mì-thoilichte an cuid pheinseanan agus le an còraichean agus cùmhnantan-obrach is tha buill de na h-aonaidhean a-nis air aontachadh a dhol air stailc fad ceala-deug. Uill, fhuair mi facal air an Ollamh Wilson MacLeòid bho Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann a tha a’ dol air stailc air an-ath-sheachdain is mhìnich e dhomh gu dè a dh’ fhàg gun robh e den a’ bheachd nach robh roghainn eile aige ach a dhol air stailc.

[An t-Oll. Wilson MacLeòid] Tha na duilgheadasan seo air a bhith a’ dol fad mòran bhliadhnaichean ann an dòigh, gun teagamh dà bhliadhna, a’ feuchainn ri fuasgladh fhaighinn air ceistean leantainneach, duilgheadasan leantainneach a thaobh peinseanan, pàigheadh, cumhachdan-obrach is ceistean uallach-obrach , co-ionannachd. Tha gu leòr air a’ bhòrd agus chan eil sinn a’ faicinn gu bheil na h-oilthighean dà-rìribh son a bhith ri fuasgladh a lorg.

[Karen Elder – Neach-aithris] Nise, chaidh sibh air stailc ron Nollaig an tàinig piseach air an t-suidheachadh on uair sin?

[An t-Oll. Wilson MacLeòid] Thàinig is cha tàinig. Tha na h-oilthighean a’ gluasad gu ìre a thaobh cheistean a thaobh co-ionannachd agus cumhachdan-obrach, cùmhnantan seasmhach, obraichean is mar sin ach chan eil na tha iad a’ gealltainn làidir is soilleir gu leòr. A thaobh pàighidh, cha do ghluais iad idir, cha tug iad sgillinn ruadh a bharrachd air a’ bhòrd. Agus a thaobh peinseanan a-rithist, chan eil iad deònach gluasad an da-rìribh agus mar sin, chan eil roghainn air fhàgail againne seach a bhith a’ dol air stailc.

[Karen Elder – Neach-aithris] Agus dè seòrsa buaidh a tha sin a’ toirt air na h-oileanaich, fhad ’s a tha sibhse air stailc?

[An t-Oll. Wilson MacLeòid] Bidh e air … Cha bhi a h-uile duine a’ dol air stailc, cuid de dhaoine nach eil an sàs anns an aonadh, air adhbharan air choireigin. Cuid eile … tha e a’ cosg an t-uabhas airgid, tha sinn a’ dol a chall tuarastal dhà-rìribh, chaill sinn ochd làithean de thuarastal mar-thà. Tha e uabhasach duilich do chuid. Agus mar sin, bidh e a rèir diofar chùrsaichean, diofar roinnean nas làidire is mar sin air adhart. Bidh e eadar-dhealaichte bho oilthigh gu oilthigh, roinn gu roinn, oileanach gu oileanach. Ach uile gu lèir bidh droch bhuaidh air foghlam oileanach. Agus mar sin, tha sinn gu math searbh nach eil na h-oilthighean da-rìribh mu dheidhinn a bhith a’ feuchainn ri fuasgladh a lorg agus a’ toirt air droch bhuaidh air na h-oileanaich mar sin, ach tha e coltach gu bheil iad coma mu dheidhinn.

[Karen Elder – Presenter] That’s all to come then. Now, staff at 74 universities all over the United Kingdom went on strike today. The UCU union and the University and Colleges Union are unhappy with pensions and with rights and work contracts and members of the unions have now agreed to go on strike for a fortnight. Well, I spoke to the Professor Wilson McLeod from the University of Edinburgh who is going on strike next week and he explained to me what left him of the opinion that he had no other choice to go on strike.

[Prof Wilson McLeod] These problems have been going for many years in a way, without a doubt two years, trying to get a solution on continuing questions, continuing troubles about pensions, pay, working conditions and questions about work responsibilities, equality. There is plenty on the table and we are not seeing that the universities are really looking for a solution.

[Karen Elder – Presenter] Now, you went on strike before Christmas, did improvement come from the situation then?

[Prof Wilson McLeod] It did and it didn’t. The universities have moved to a degree on questions regarding equality and…and working conditions, substantial contracts, jobs and as such what they are promising is not strong or clear enough. On the side of pay, they didn’t move at all, they didn’t bring one red penny to the table. On the side of pensions again, they are willing to move and as such, there is no choice left to us but to go on strike.

[Karen Elder – Presenter] And what sort of impact does that have on students, whilst you are on strike?

[Prof Wilson McLeod] It will … Not everyone will be going on strike, some people are not involved in the union, for some reason or other.. Others … it costs too much money, we are certainly going to lose money, we have lost eight days of wages already. It is really difficult for some. And as such, it will depend on different courses, different stronger departments and so on. It will be different from university to university, department to department, student to student. But as a whole, a bad impact on student’s education. And as such, we are very bitter that the universities haven’t been about trying to find a solution and having a bad impact on students, but it is clear that they don’t care about it.