Today I took part in my first strike and my first picket. Here are a few pictures from the picket line, the rally in Bristo Square where we heard speakers from UCU, PCS, STUC, NUS and the Edinburgh Anti Cuts Coalition and our brief occupation of Charles Stewart House, where the university Human Resources department is housed.


During our occupation we met with Deputy Head of HR, Eilidh Fraser and presented her with the following demands:

We , the concerned students currently occupying Charles Stewart Building, call on the HR department to do the following:

  1. Issue a public statement calling on employers to reenter into negotiations with UCU, through ACAS.
  2. Lobby Universities Scotland to do the same as the above.
  3. Allow UCU to send an unedited email to all students and staff, in relation to the industrial action.
  4. Stop using the rhetoric of students’ interests to attempt to create divisions inside the University over the issue.

In solidarity,

Concerned students of Edinburgh

She seemed amenable to the suggestion that the university make a better job of informing students as to the reasons for the strike in future communications. We received no firm commitments, however, and await further response. We’ll keep you all up to date as developments proceed.