Dundee University staff to be balloted over strike action
Staff at the University of Dundee are to be balloted on strike action following reports the institution could cut up to 700 jobs.The financially-stricken university is battling to overcome a £35m deficit and previously announced that 632 positions would be cut.However, interim principal and vice-chancellor, Prof Shane O'Neill, told the Scottish government's education, children and young people committee that number referred to full-time equivalent posts, and the actual number of people affected would be higher.The Unite union said it had "no option" but to consider a walkout, accusing the university of "gross financial mismanagement".
The university described the announcement of the ballot, which opens on Friday and will close on 24 April, as "hugely disappointing".The university currently employs 3,259 people on a full-time basis and has 271 unfilled positions.
Unite said it hoped the ballot would halt the threat of compulsory redundancies.Industrial officer Katrina Currie said: "Unite has no option but to respond to the gross financial mismanagement which has shaken Dundee University to its foundations."Under no circumstances will we allow compulsory redundancies to take place because the workers are blameless, and they should not have to pay the price for incompetence."Ms Currie said a government-backed taskforce should be set up to deal with the issue, describing the Scottish Funding Council investigation into the cause of the crisis as "insufficient".
'University existence at risk'
The university's incoming rector, Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman, described the jobs losses as "worse than expected".Prof O'Neill warned some courses could have modules reduced at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.Those would likely come from the Business, Life Sciences, Humanities, Geography, Art and Design, Computing, Mathematics and Physics departments.The university has put the five-bedroom home previously used by its former principal on the market in a bid to raise some funding.Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite will do everything industrially, legally and politically possible to protect the livelihoods of hundreds of workers at Dundee University."The situation is in danger of spiralling out of control, with the very existence of the university now at risk without government intervention."Unite will support our members every step of the way in defence of their jobs."
A spokesman for the university said: "The decision by Unite to ballot its members, while we continue to develop a revised recovery plan, is hugely disappointing."We have continued to engage and work constructively with the campus unions throughout what is a highly complex process, dialogue that we feel has been constructive for all parties."We will do all we can to mitigate the effects on our students of any industrial action."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Labour peer George Foulkes calls for second Holyrood chamber
George Foulkes, who has previously served as an MP and MSP, said that an assessment of how the Scottish Parliament works is 'long overdue'. Writing in the Scotsman, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock said that Holyrood is 'not living up to the hopes and expectations' of Donald Dewar, Scotland's inaugural first minister, and John Smith, the former labour leader, who he described as its 'architects'. He claimed that Holyrood committees have 'largely failed' as a check on the Scottish Government. READ MORE: UK jets being sent to the Middle East as Keir Starmer refuses to rule out defending Israel 'This situation is compounded by the absence of a second chamber in Scotland, which could revise, improve and very occasionally throw out defective legislation,' Foulkes wrote. He reiterated his long-standing opposition to Scottish politicians 'pontificating on global crises, which Scotland has no chance of resolving', and claimed the SNP is unwilling to 'seriously engage with the current devolution framework'. After calling for tunnels to be built between Scotland's islands, Foulkes, who was made a Labour peer in 2005, criticised the SNP's 'centralisation' of services such as police and fire services. 'We need to look at greater devolution across Scotland - possibly creating new democratic institutions, such as mayors - to bring power closer to the people,' Foulkes said. 'And finally, we come to Holyrood itself. A major review is long overdue and should be prioritised by whichever government comes next. (Image: PA) 'Some key questions which need answered, include - would another electoral system be better? Is there a case for a second chamber? Should there be a limit on the size of the executive? And do MSPs privileges and the role of the Presiding Officer need to be reviewed? 'I am sure that there are many more issues that others would want to look at, but I doubt if there are many now who disagree with the need for change. 'Indeed, sadly, an Abolish Holyrood movement is growing, with the threat to stand candidates for list seats next year. 'To rescue Holyrood, people need to see that their money is being spent wisely and effectively, especially since we have decided to impose higher tax rates than in other parts of the country.' SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson responded to Foulkes' comments, telling The National: "Lord Foulkes wanting a second chamber in Holyrood is bold from someone who sits in an unelected, unaccountable retirement home for Westminster politicians." READ MORE: Ian Murray 'does not understand how devolution works', minister says Last year, Foulkes attacked Scottish Government spending and said there should be 'consequences' for the SNP if it is deemed there is spending in reserved areas. He has long called for the Scottish Government to be prevented from spending in areas such as independence and foreign engagement. Labour have repeatedly said they would abolish the House of Lords, but after coming to power in Westminster following the General Election, instead abolished the 92 seats reserved for peers who are there by right of birth, known as hereditary peers. In a National investigation in 2021, we revealed that Scottish peers had claimed a 'grotesque' £1 million in expenses during the pandemic. Foulkes topped the list for the biggest claim of combined allowance and expenses with £64,643, and for the highest daily allowance alone at £55,936, between April 2020 and July 2021.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Findlay criticises SNP over ‘obscene' public spending
READ MORE He said: 'The size of the state under the SNP has grown to an extremely ineffective, bloated state. It costs far too much money. 'The hard-working taxpayers are paying for all that. Just today, I was looking at the list of government agencies and quangos on the Government's official website, and there was a link taking you to an entity that is offering those jobs and male breast reduction surgery. 'You know, I believe the Scottish Government should be focused on cutting waste, reducing waste — not reducing the size of moobs. The Government do not even know where their money is going. It is obscene.' The Scottish Tories later clarified that the quango in question was This is Remarkable Ltd, a body listed on the Scottish Government's directory of public organisations. The company was previously known as Investors in People Scotland, rebranding in 2017. It is currently in liquidation and has not filed accounts since 2022. Its website appears to have been turned into what is known as a content farm, where large volumes of low-quality or SEO-optimised articles — often unrelated or only loosely connected — are published with the goal of driving web traffic. The content is usually cheaply produced or AI-generated, and written to match popular search terms. The site features blog posts on rhinoplasty, vaping regulation and gynecomastia — male breast reduction — clinics in South Korea. Screengrab of This is Remarkable website (Image: NQ) One page provides a handy checklist of 'What Makes a 'Good' Gynecomastia Clinic' and recommends the DA Plastic Surgery's Male Chest Centre in Seoul. 'South Korea leads the world in male breast reduction thanks to volume, technology, and patient-centric service,' the website says. 'Among many high-performers, DA Plastic Surgery's Male Chest Centre shines for its hybrid scar-saving technique, concierge care, and transparent package pricing.' Liquidators were appointed in December 2022. The firm's last set of accounts described a difficult situation, with the company's turnover falling from £2.1 million to £1.4 million. In his interview, Mr Findlay also hit out at the £4 million a year being given to Criminal Justice Scotland, which he criticised for publishing guidance on avoiding the word 'criminal' due to concerns over stigma. 'Some of the things it promotes is policing of language. It tells the public they should not call criminals criminals. This is just ridiculous waste of money,' he said. 'And on top of that, you have 5,500 public sector workers in Scotland earning over £130,000 a year. What are they all doing? What we are saying is we would be laser-focused in ensuring that every one of these jobs actually delivers for the taxpayer, delivers public services. 'And I bet you that if you ask John Swinney this question, he could not put his hand on heart and say that is actually happening just now.' Mr Findlay said a Scottish Tory government would also look at all universal benefits. 'Scotland's social security benefit is going to rise to £9 billion by 2030. This is unaffordable. So whether it is social security spending, whether it is this huge client state the SNP have built, or whether it is the vast salaries of people who do not deliver for taxpayers, all of that is in play quite rightly.' However, when pressed on whether he expected to become First Minister, Mr Findlay said: 'I think you would probably have a chuckle if I suggested that I am likely to become the next First Minister.' Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: 'This cringe-worthy interview from Liz Truss cheerleader Russell Findlay shows how little the Scottish Tories have to offer to the people of Scotland. 'The Tories tanked our economy and inflicted years of misery on our communities — it is no wonder the party is fading into irrelevance. 'At the next election, only one party can turn the page on SNP failure and deliver a new direction for Scotland, and that is Scottish Labour.'
STV News
3 hours ago
- STV News
Minister ‘hopeful' for ‘positive' announcement on Grangemouth soon
The UK's energy minister has said he is 'hopeful' that an announcement on investment in Grangemouth will come soon. Michael Shanks said more than 80 potential investors had come forward since the UK Government pledged £200m for the site. The UK Government is looking for another £600m from private investment in the area, following the closure of Scotland's last oil refinery there. Mr Shanks said the investment, announced by the Prime Minister at the Scottish Labour conference earlier this year, will help provide a 'long-term, sustainable future' for the site. More than 400 jobs were lost at the oil refinery as owners Petroineos transitioned it to a fuel import terminal. The company said the facility was losing large amounts of money every day. PA Media More than 400 jobs have been lost at the Grangemouth site. Speaking on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, the energy minister said his Government was engaging with businesses on new projects for the area. 'We've had some really positive meetings around potential investors,' he said. 'In fact, there's more than 80 potential investors come forward. 'Scottish Enterprise is driving forward due diligence on that. 'There's a number of really credible projects that we're developing at the moment. 'We hope we'll have some really positive announcements to say soon.' Mr Shanks said the 'unprecedented' £200 million investment from the National Wealth Fund would help 'create the jobs of the future' while providing the security of long-term investment. He added: 'I'm hopeful we will have announcements soon. 'I'm not involved in the due diligence, as you wouldn't expect, but there are some really exciting, viable projects coming forward that will deliver jobs in Grangemouth long into the future.' Following the announcement by Petroineos to close the plant, the Scottish and UK governments funded Project Willow, a report which laid out the potential future of the site in areas such as sustainable aviation fuel. Earlier this week, Jan Robertson, Grangemouth director for Scottish Enterprise, said he had received a 'mixture of inquiries' from businesses, including those interested in the site as well as some which 'have a good opportunity to become projects in the relatively near-term'. PA Media Scotland's Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said the 'door's not closed' on Grangemouth. 'What I mean by that is the next three to four years,' she told Holyrood's Economy and Fair Work Committee. 'Our approach very much at the moment is working with those and working as closely and quickly as we can to make the progress that we want to see in Grangemouth.' Scotland's Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said at the committee that the 'door's not closed' to companies and inquiries could still be made about working at Grangemouth, adding that Petroineos had also received approaches. Ms Martin said she was hopeful for the future of Grangemouth. 'We could look back five years and start pointing fingers, but the most important thing is that in the last year – actually the last six months – Project Willow and the task force have moved things along in a way that's been swift, agile, focused,' she said. 'I am feeling so much more confident than I did this time last year in the prospects for that site.' Ms Martin added that she hoped, with approval from the cabinet, a just transition plan for Grangemouth would be published next week. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
