LECTURERS at one of the UK’s top universities in Scotland are continuing to protest over staff salaries.
Staff from the University of Edinburgh have gone on strike again this week after finding out that EU students are set to pay over £30,000 a year for some post graduate courses at the uni next year.
Dr Hamish Kallin, who teaches Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh in the Geosciences department, said that there has been no changes for staff salaries.
He originally began a strike last month and posted a notice to his door in which he listed the issues he had with the university.
Dr Kallin is striking in line with the Universities and Colleges Union who want better pay for lecturers in higher education institutions around the United Kingdom.
He was joined by colleagues including Human Geography lecturer Dr Hannah Awkock who posted a photo of the protest to social media saying ‘Happy Tuesday everyone.’
Images have circulated showing Dr Kallin and his peers protesting outside one of the university buildings.
Dr Kallin shared a photo on his Twitter page on Monday, saying: “Why am I on strike again?
“Because the only thing that has changed since I put this on my office door is that we found out the fees for international (including EU) students wanting to take an undergraduate degree in Geography will be £30,400 a year.”
Dr Kallin took umbrage with the fiscal policy of the institution, saying that the university had doubled their profits and grown substantially with student numbers being up by 60% and profit per student 50% higher than in 2009.
However, Dr Kallin claimed that staff wages have fallen when compared with inflation by over 25%.
He also said that 42% of staff at the university are teaching on insecure contracts – including ten people in his own school building.
People left comments on Dr Kallin’s Twitter post after being shocked by the figures.
One said: “That is terrifying. I came from Scottish comp, to Edinburgh, in the 90s, and left with an MA(Hons)-but more importantly, min student debt.
“It is not fair that students are being charged £££’s and that very little investment comes back.
“Pricing ordinary students out of an education.”
Another said: “I went to UofE because it was affordable for me as an overseas student at £8,000 a year.
“While I was there, the great recession happened and I nearly couldn’t afford to finish my MA Ling degree because of the tuition hike up to £12,000 a year compounded with a dismal USD exchange rate. £30k? No.”
While another commented: “Have a look at salary levels for Chancellors of universities.”
Speaking today, Dr Kallin said: “The tweet makes it pretty clear what the problem is.”
Over 6,000 members of staff from 10 Scottish universities have been involved in strikes since last year over their pay and pensions.
It is believed that the staff want an extra £2,500 per annum for all employees.
According to Indeed, a university lecturer at Edinburgh University currently makes on average around £46,799 a year.
Vice chancellor of Edinburgh University Peter Mathieson is reported to earn over £340,000 per year in his role.
