University staff are striking over hundreds of threatened job losses and compulsory redundancies.
University and College Union (UCU) members at the University of Dundee (UoD) will begin another five days of strikes starting on Monday 26 May, ending on Friday 30 May.
The strikes come in response to the university’s decision to cut 700 jobs and are the latest in a string of industrial action at the university, with another 15 days of strikes having taken place in February and March.
Initially, following advice from the Scottish Government, the employer announced a reduced figure of 300 job loses via a voluntary redundancy scheme, but the union said on Monday morning the UoD is refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies.
The union also says the university is carrying out redundancy consultations in its Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) and the Educational Assistive Technology Team (EduAT) departments.
The union said that members were shocked that staff were still facing compulsory redundancy in both the LRCFS and EduAT.
UCU added the EduAT team has proved integral in the education of disabled students in the UK and overseas.
The union said that Assistive Technology plays a vital role in enabling learners with additional educational needs to achieve their academic goals.
A spokesperson for the Dundee UCU branch said: “The announcement at the end of April that, instead of up to 700 jobs being cut, the University is looking to lose 300 staff via a voluntary severance scheme was welcome.
“However, the threat of compulsory redundancies is still looming over staff once a voluntary severance scheme closes, and there are staff at the university that are currently facing redundancy in the Leverhulme centre and EduAT.
“We call on the employer to abide by the Scottish Government’s call to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies, and to commit to making any savings through voluntary methods.
“The employer is pushing ahead with redundancies, and given that jobs are on the line our members felt they had no choice but to embark upon further industrial action.
“That’s why members will be taking strike action for five days. UCU wants to work for a sustainable future for the university, for students, staff and the city of Dundee, but our members must take a stand against compulsory redundancies.”
Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, called upon the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to step in.
She said: “Some seven months after first announcing that management failures had led to an unforeseen deficit, the fact that staff are still facing an uncertain future with management still unwilling to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies shows the ongoing crisis in the university’s leadership and governance.
“The intervention of Scottish Government and the SFC is welcome and essential, but as well as dealing with the immediate crisis at Dundee, we also need to see wholescale revision of governance arrangements at universities to ensure this never happens again.”
The Scottish Government said it is working alongside the SFC to develop an alternative route.
A spokesperson said: “Ministers appreciate this remains a deeply anxious time for staff at Dundee University.
“Whilst universities are autonomous institutions, we continue to encourage Dundee’s management to protect jobs and engage fully with staff, students and trade unions.
“The Scottish Government has provided £25 million to the SFC to support universities like Dundee facing immediate financial challenges. Work is also continuing with the Scottish Funding Council on the further development of an alternative Financial Recovery Plan.
“It is vital that students are supported at this time and that any potential impact of industrial action is managed carefully to avoid disruption to their studies.”
A UoD spokesperson said: “This action from UCU is extremely disappointing, particularly in the context of recent progress towards a revised recovery plan and the timing of a strike when we are in a critical period of the academic year for our students.
“We believe we have robust contingency plans in place to mitigate the impact of strike action as far as we possibly can, particularly for confirming marks and degree classifications for our students.
“Most marking of exams is complete and we expect Exam Boards to meet and confirm results over the coming weeks.”
The Scottish Funding Council were approached for comment.
