Dundee University staff strikes set to continue next week amid long-running dispute over job cuts

Dundee University staff are set to strike again next week amid a long-running dispute over job cuts.

University and College Union (UCU) members will take five days of strike action from Monday November 10 to Friday November 14 to mark the first anniversary of the institution’s financial crisis.

Workers will also take part in action short of strike, including working to contract, not covering for colleagues, or undertaking voluntary activities at the university.

Last November, former university principal Professor Iain Gillespie emailed staff to announce potential compulsory redundancies amid a £30m deficit.

UCU members backed industrial action, which led to walkouts earlier this year.

Senior management have twice indicated compulsory job losses would be ruled out.

The Scottish Government has already stepped in and bailed out the university with £40m of emergency cash – with ministers said to have the expectation this would help keep job losses at Dundee to a maximum of 300.

However, interim university principal, Professor Nigel Seaton, told Holyrood’s Education Committee last week that the Scottish Funding Council – the body which funds universities in Scotland – now accepts that further reductions in the workforce will have to take place.

He said the total number of jobs lost would exceed the 300 agreed through voluntary severance, and a draft recovery plan has suggested 390 posts could go, including 170 through compulsory means.

“News that further job cuts are coming is just another shocking revelation in a year when staff have been told one thing only to be then told something different over the number of jobs to be cut and the need for compulsory redundancies,” UCU branch co-president, Melissa D’Ascenzio, said.

“Throughout the past year, staff have continued to teach students and carry out world-leading research while not knowing if their job is secure.

“Staff are striking next week to defend jobs, and to demand, a year after they first learnt about the debacle caused by the university’s leadership, that university senior managers finally rule out the use of compulsory redundancies.”

Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, added: “It’s galling that, once again, staff hear about more job cuts in the Parliament and in the media.

“It’s beyond time for Nigel Seaton to conclusively rule out compulsory redundancies. UCU members at Dundee have again shown their determination to vote for and to take action to defend jobs and protect the university’s long-term future.”

A spokesperson for the University said: “Dundee UCU have notified us of the industrial action their members are taking next week. We will do all we can to mitigate any impacts on our students although we do anticipate the majority of classes and student contact time will proceed as normal.”