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DUCU Message to Members
22 May 2025
It is with deep regret that we inform you of the failure of UEG to meaningfully engage with the dispute resolution process.
Our requests remained as indicated in the letter to management on Friday 16th May:
1. withdrawal of section 188;
2: commitment to no compulsory redundancies until at least June 2026.
We were promised that we would receive a response in writing in time for us to call an emergency branch meeting on Friday. As it stands, no communication has been received from UEG. Hence, our action will go ahead on Monday 26 May 2025 as planned.
Picket lines will be every morning 8am-12pm outside the Tower building.
Join us and save this university.
UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE UNION (UCU) SCOTLAND
PRESS RELEASE
Monday 26 May 2025
University of Dundee compulsory redundancy plans result in new wave of strikes
University and College Union (UCU) members at the University of Dundee today (Monday 26th May) begin a further five days* of strike action over threatened job losses and staff facing compulsory redundancy.
The strike action is in response to the University’s failure to comply with the Scottish Government’s resolve that compulsory redundancy should be avoided when providing £22m of emergency funding. Compulsory redundancy is still being pursed in both the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) and the Educational Assistive Technology unit (EduAT) team at the university.
The first minister has stated on the record that the Leverhulme Centre is’ fundamental to the future of Dundee University’ while the EduAT team is transforming the education of disabled students in the UK and beyond.
Ian Ellis co-president of DUCU said “It is baffling why the Leverhulme centre or EduAT team remains at risk. DUCU is committed to playing a positive role in ensuring a sustainable future for the university, but the use of compulsory redundancies was unacceptable.”
“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 at the end of the voluntary severance scheme 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 strike follows 15 days of strikes in February and March. Since then, university senior management, in the face of continued industrial action and criticism from the Scottish Government and local politicians, backtracked on their original plans to cut 700 jobs. Management initially accepted Scottish Government advice, announcing a reduced figure of 300 job losses through a voluntary redundancy process.
Union members were then shocked that staff were still facing compulsory redundancy in both the Leverhulme centre and EduAT.
DUCU said:
“The employer has refused to abide by calls from the Scottish Government, and given 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, 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 Scottish Funding Council 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.”
Ends
Please find here the link to the unedited opinion piece by Dr Carlo Morelli on the DUCU’s plan to get the university back on track. A version of this piece was published in The Courier.
You can also find here the text of the resolution passed by Dundee City Council on 21 April 2025 on the crisis of management at the University.
Read the Op Ed by Prof. Angela Daly (DUCU Honorary Secretary), published in The Courier, on why she and countless other Dundee staff are going on strike.
Contribute to the DUCU Fighting Fund
Please email ducu@dundee.ac.uk to find out how you can support DUCU members on strike. UCU branches who wish to donate to the DUCU Fighting Fund are requested to email DUCU for bank transfer details.
Our thanks to the following UCU branches for the solidarity and support:
Liverpool, UCL, Liverpool John Moores, Heriot Watt, Oxford, Aberdeen, St Andrews, Glasgow, Reading, York St John, North West Region, Ulster, Royal Holloway
UCU is the largest trade union and professional association for academics, lecturers, trainers, researchers and academic-related staff working in further and higher education throughout the UK.
Contact us
Administrator: Qingzhong LIANG
DUCU Office, Room 1.08a, 15/16 Springfield
University of Dundee
Tel: 01382 388817
Email: DUCU@dundee.ac.uk
X: @DucuUo; BlueSky: ducuuo.bsky.social