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Dundee University staff begin three-week strike

Graeme Ogston
Tayside and Central reporter
BBC A group of pickets stand on the street waving bannersBBC
Members of the University and College Union Scotland will strike for 15 days

Staff at Dundee University have begun three weeks of strike action over the institution's plans to cut jobs due to a potential £30m deficit.

The University and College Union (UCU) Scotland said that 74% of its members had backed strike action, on a turnout of 64%.

More than 450 UCU members, comprising academic and support staff, will strike each weekday for the next three weeks. It is expected lectures and classes will be cancelled.

Dundee University said the action was "premature" and had been voted for by less than 10% of the university's staff.

The university currently employs more than 3,000 people.

Former principal Prof Iain Gillespie told staff in November that job losses were "inevitable" and blamed "an extremely challenging period" for the UK higher education sector.

A woman with brown hair, wearing a yellow tabard and a pink hat with the letters UCU stands on a picket line
Local UCU branch co-president Dr Melissa D'Ascenzio said cutting staff was not the answer to the university's financial problems

Prof Gillespie resigned a month later after the university defended a £7,000 business trip he took to Hong Kong with a colleague.

Amanda Millar, the university's court chairwoman, resigned with immediate effect last week.

Senior lecturer and local UCU branch co-president Dr Melissa D'Ascenzio said: "We are striking against the threat of compulsory redundancies.

"What is clear to us is that the deficit has not been caused by staff costs.

"We were told for months in 2024 that we were doing really well, that the University of Dundee was doing better than other Scottish universities.

"Then suddenly in November there was this change in the financial position and we were told we had this big deficit.

"If we don't really know what has caused this financial crisis, then cutting staff is not the answer."

Prof Shane O'Neill is wearing a suit and tie. He has grey hair and black glasses and is standing in an office with a bookcase behind him.
The university's interim principal Prof Shane O'Neill said he was "very disappointed" at the strike action

The university's interim principal Prof Shane O'Neill told BBC Scotland News that he was "very disappointed" at the strike action.

He said: "While we're aware we have significant financial problems to address, and we haven't hidden from the fact that inevitably that will lead to some job losses, we've not shared the detail of the plan yet.

"The issue for them (UCU) is that we can't rule out compulsory redundancies and we've acknowledged that.

"But I very much put it to them that it's really disappointing because it does seem premature, and also I'm not clear who's gaining anything from it."

A group of people seated in a large hall watching speakers on a stage
A public meeting to mark the start of the strike was held in Dundee's Marryat Hall

A rally and public meeting was held on Monday lunchtime in Dundee city centre, with speakers including trades union leaders and local politicians.

A three-week ballot of members of the Unison trade union - which represents present professional services staff at the university - on strike action will begin on Tuesday.

Dundee University's court will meet on the same day to discuss the financial situation, but any details of a recovery plan will not be announced until early next month.