On April 15th, Dundee University UCU, at a well-attended branch meeting, voted for strike action on Tuesday 28th April and Tuesday 5th May against threatened compulsory redundancies in the School of Medicine and the College of Arts & Social Sciences. This follows the successful ballot for industrial action in which 72% voted for strike action and 88% for action short of strike on a 42% turnout. In addition members voted to boycott the ‘Excellence Review’ aimed at identifying staff for redundancy in the College of Arts & Social Sciences. If the University goes ahead with its plans for compulsory redundancy then further strike action is planned.
Dundee University is seeking to make redundant up to 15 academic staff in the School of Medicine and 17 academic staff in the College of Arts & Social Sciences. This follows on the loss of 55 academic staff in 2014 and a further 50 academic related and support staff through voluntary severance in 2015.
We intend to hold joint pickets alongside UNITE members at Ninewells hospital, where Dundee University has its Medical School, who are currently on all-out strike against their pay grading.
We ask all UCU activists to support Dundee UCU in its opposition to compulsory redundancies. Please rush messages of support to ducu@dundee.ac.uk