Staff at the University of Dundee will stage a five-week strike from September as a long-running dispute over job losses and the threat of compulsory redundancies escalates.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will walk out on every weekday from 21 September to 23 October, with further industrial action planned short of a strike, including refusing to cover for colleagues or undertake voluntary duties.
The latest action follows the university’s announcement last month that it intends to cut a further 190 jobs, after around 675 roles had already been lost through voluntary redundancy programmes.
The university has urged the union to suspend the planned strike, describing the timing as particularly disappointing as students prepare to begin the new academic year.
UCU members are also expected to lobby the university’s governing body, the University Court, during its meeting at Bonar Hall in Dundee.
The dispute has been ongoing for more than a year, with union members already taking part in 28 days of strike action. A fresh ballot earlier this month returned another mandate for industrial action after the previous legal mandate expired.
Ian Ellis, co-president of Dundee University’s UCU branch, said the strikes at the start of the academic year would inevitably affect new students but argued responsibility for the crisis lay with the university’s leadership.
He said the institution’s financial difficulties were the result of management decisions and criticised senior leaders for failing to find solutions that did not place the burden on staff.
Ellis also welcomed calls from government ministers for greater engagement between the university and trade unions, adding that staff wanted to help resolve the crisis but meaningful dialogue was essential.
The dispute comes amid growing concern over the university’s financial position.
Earlier this month, leaders of Dundee City Council wrote jointly to the Scottish Government, urging ministers to explore every possible option to prevent further job losses and consider additional financial support.
The letter warned that planned cuts could lead to the closure of facilities, including the university’s Botanic Garden, and have wider consequences for Dundee’s economy and local community.
The Scottish Government previously provided the university with £40 million in emergency funding last year.
A University of Dundee spokesperson said the institution remained disappointed by the planned industrial action but acknowledged staff’s legal right to strike.
The university said it expects the majority of employees to continue working as normal and anticipates that most teaching and student contact will go ahead as scheduled.
It added that discussions with trade unions remain ongoing as part of the formal consultation process and encouraged the UCU to continue engaging in talks aimed at securing a sustainable future for the university.