University of Dundee staff back strike action over threat to jobs
Affected workers represented by Unite include technicians and student support roles.
As part of the initial discussions, the union has welcomed the removal of an 'immediate' redundancy threat for workers, but warned the possibility of job cuts in future remains 'very real'.
The union said it is backing demands for the Scottish Government's external taskforce involving unions and other key stakeholders to implement measures to protect the hundreds of jobs and to sustain the future of the university.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Unite is totally committed to protecting the livelihoods of hundreds of our members at Dundee University.
'Unite will support our members every step of the way in defence of their jobs.'
A march will assemble on Tuesday outside the university's Tower Building, ahead of a rally at the Caird Hall (Alamy/PA)
A rally will be held outside the city's Caird Hall on Tuesday, involving trade unionists, community activists, students and university workers.
It will come following an emergency motion on the threat to jobs being tabled by Unite at the STUC annual conference at the venue next week.
A march will assemble at 12pm outside the university's Tower Building, which will join with STUC delegates at 12.30pm outside the Caird Hall.
Katrina Currie, Unite industrial officer, said: 'Unite welcomes recent steps to remove an immediate redundancy threat to hundreds of workers.
'The threat to our members' jobs however remains very real.
'We need every tool in defence of jobs and livelihoods which is why this industrial action mandate is vital.'
The Scottish Government has provided £22 million in liquidity support to the university.
The news comes after Edinburgh University announced around 350 staff have taken voluntary redundancy.
It came after the university announced it would have to cut £140 million from its budget to plug a black hole earlier this year, with job cuts likely.
The Scottish Government and the University of Dundee have been contacted for comment.
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The Herald Scotland
34 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
FM funding row as £90m for Scots jobs given to firm going to England
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It was for supporting the jobs and community. "It's absurd to be losing this skilled work and leading technology in the place which should be the epicentre and hub. Its industrial vandalism and indicative of a lack of an industrial strategy." A row between ministers and ADL emerged over levels of support and had it roots in Scottish Government schemes launched from 2020 to accelerate the use and manufacture of zero and low emission buses in Scotland and 'help drive a green recovery out of the Covid pandemic" which have been worth a total of £155.8m to date. Frustrations emerged after May, 2023 when Alexander Dennis hosted the second phase of the Scottish Government's Zero Emissions Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) which was to have funding worth £58m. It also showcased its Enviro100EV concept, a lightweight single-deck zero-emission bus with new in-house battery powertrain confirmed that grant backing accelerated its development. The fund was established to "disrupt the bus and coach market" and allow operators the chance to make the move to zero-emission vehicles. Then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited ADL's Falkirk plant in a trip which coincided with Scottish Enterprise providing a £7.3m million research and development grant (Image: ADL) And a Scottish Government memo to the deputy first minister Kate Forbes a year later states that Alexander Dennis had initially accepted that the Scottish Government's direct investment in ScotZEB would "underpin and grown the 500+ green Scottish jobs it supports". But it revealed that a subsequent series of letters were received from ADL and NFI raising concerns about the outcome of ScotZEB and wider Scottish Government support of bus manufacturing. "The company claims that the ScotZEB outcome will have a catastrophic impact on the business." It said the letters compare the Scottish Government's approach to funding programmes, subsidy control and Fair Work First "unfavourably with policies of other governments to protect their domestic manufacturing base". But the memo said that ADL had received orders for 363 zero-emission buses from ScotZEB more than any other manufacturer benefitting from the schemes. A separate briefing states that Alexander Dennis was awarded only 17% or 44 buses from second phase of the programme. According to Scottish Government records ADL received £58m of public 'subsidy' for green vehicles under the four phases of the low and zero emission bus schemes A significant grant through the ScotZeb 2 programme was awarded to Zenobe, and its consortium of bus and coach operators to support the transition of bus fleets to electric. ADL, which incurred total losses over three years of £44.9m between 2021 and 2023, made its own bid to the programme but was unsuccessful. While ADL was a supplier to the successful consortium it was not a formal part of it. The note said that ADL had "praised support from Scottish Enterprise" it added that the First Minister had "assured the company of the support available for its continuing investment in Scotland". By September, 2024 a further call between the First Minister and NFI and ADL showed that Mr Swinney advised and asked that Scottish Enterprise "exhaust all options to support the business". And a note of the meeting cleared by Mr Swinney stated that he requested that "all options are exhausted before any final decision is taken by ADL". By then, Alexander Dennis had already benefited from a raft of taxpayer-funded grants and support from the Scottish Government. In the same year of the ScotZeb2 launch, Scottish Enterprise sanctioned a £13.2m grant on top of £49.7m ADL investment into the development of zero emissions technology for the creation of new battery-electric and hydrogen fuel powertrains - the systems designed to propel vehicles forward. Some £11.2m was drawn down. Alexander Dennis president and managing director Paul Davies (2nd from left) and then transport minister Kevin Stewart (centre) with Alexander Dennis apprentices as the bus company launched ScotZEB2 (Image: ADL) At that point Alexander Dennis said it was repurposing its Larbert plant to make it a "manufacturing centre of excellence' for the production of zero-emission buses. The plant had successfully piloted hydrogen-electric and said it was expanding to battery-electric full production from August 2023. 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Then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described Alexander Dennis as a "true Scottish success story". She added: "ADL's continued commitment to invest in Scotland is testament to the skilled workforce here in Falkirk." Mr Robertson handed over the first bus to Lothian managing director Richard Hall on November 8, 2018 in a ceremony at the manufacturer's Falkirk plant that was attended by transport secretary Michael Matheson, and representatives of Scottish Enterprise and Transport Scotland. One worker told the Herald that the cuts were a "bolt from the blue", described the jobs threat as "horrendous" but said he would now be seeking employment elsewhere because the future looked "bleak". "I haven't slept since being informed my job was at risk and while I think everything should be done to keep it open, I just wonder whether it will be the case because the fear will be that even with further support, the move to England will just rear its head in the future," he said. "I won't be hanging around to find out because I'm not sure more support would be coming under the circumstances or will even be sufficient. I will take my redundancy cash and get out if I can." ADL was established in 2004 when a consortium of Scottish entrepreneurs led by Mr Souter and including Dame Ann Gloag (Souter's sister), Sir Angus Grossart and Sir David Murray acquired the business from Trans Bus International's administrators. A Scottish Enterprise spokesman said: 'Scottish Enterprise has had a strong strategic partnership with Alexander Dennis Limited for more than 10 years, during which time we have supported technology development, skills and cultural transformation at the company. We have recently been working closely with Alexander Dennis Limited to explore a range of possible options. We remain fully committed to continuing to work with the company during the consultation period to try and find a positive solution, despite the challenging circumstances. 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Scotsman
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Scotsman
an hour ago
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