Dundee University staff to be balloted on strike action over job cuts

Professional services staff working at the University of Dundee are to be balloted for strike action over job cuts, a union has announced.

Unison said employees are “in the dark” about their futures two months after former principal and vice-chancellor Professor Iain Gillespie resigned amid concern over the university’s finances.

Last year it emerged Prof Gillespie had told staff in an email that job cuts were “inevitable” as the university was facing a potential deficit of £30m.

Unison says staff have yet to learn any details about redundancies and are seeking assurances from senior managers that their positions are secure and the working environment will improve.

The ballot will involve professional services staff including IT, administrative, cleaning, security and facilities staff and run from February 25 to March 18.

A University of Dundee spokesperson described the union’s move to ballot members as “extremely disappointing”.

Unison Scotland regional organiser Mo Dickson said: “This is a terrible time for university staff and their families.

“They still are none the wiser as to what’s going on and haven’t received any assurances jobs won’t be cut.

“Employees are trying to find out how Dundee University has ended up with a £30 million deficit.

“All staff hear are rumours, the facts are in short supply.

“And all the while they’re having to cope with additional work pressures as a result of numerous unfilled job vacancies.

“It’s a stressful environment and morale is at an all-time low.”

Unison Scotland area organiser Steve McLellan said: “Going on strike is a last resort.

“Staff understand this is a complicated situation but they feel they’re not being listened to.

“University employees need concrete proposals they can believe in and a leadership team that will work with them.

“It would be entirely wrong if hard-working staff who have done everything that’s been asked of them ended up losing their jobs.”

A University of Dundee spokesperson said: “The move by Unison to ballot for strike before we have presented a recovery plan is, in our view, a premature action and one which, if followed by a strike, will have a detrimental impact on our students and on our efforts to move towards a more sustainable future for the university.

“We want to work constructively with the unions on building that more sustainable future.

“We have engaged in good faith in almost weekly consultation meetings throughout this crisis and subsequently in dispute resolution meetings.

“It is extremely disappointing that Unison are now taking this step to ballot.”