Over 800 jobs to go due to university mismanagement

Unite has today (17 June) demanded urgent government action to protect a further 190 jobs from the axe at Dundee University as workers face “decimation”. 

The university claims that it still requires annual savings of £20 million after cutting 675 jobs through voluntary redundancies since a £35m deficit was first revealed in November 2024.  

The union has warned that if the university proposes compulsory redundancies as part of its swinging cuts, then this will be met with the ‘full force of Unite’. 

The Gillies Report in June 2025 into the university's financial crisis led to the resignations of its interim principal Prof Shane O'Neill and senior members of its governing body.

The report said university bosses and its governing body failed multiple times to address the financial problems and continued to overspend. Almost £40m of ringfenced money had been spent elsewhere. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The situation at Dundee University continues to shock.  This crisis is one of financial mismanagement by those at the top. Yet, once again, it is workers way down the chain who are facing unemployment, stress and fear. We will support our members every step of the way in defence of their jobs.” 

The Scottish government provided up to £62m emergency funding last year with ministers expecting that this would limit job losses to about 300 through voluntary redundancy.  

Katrina Currie, Unite industrial officer said: “There has been two rounds of voluntary redundancies leading to hundreds of job losses. Any more will severely impair the university’s ability to provide a first-class learning environment. It will ultimately lead to its decimation, and undermine the ability to attract students, staff and workers. The Scottish government need to do more to prevent this crisis spiralling."  

“Further attacks and cuts to the workforce must stop. There has been nothing voluntary about this redundancy process as the brutal truth is hundreds of workers have been forced out the door by gross mismanagement.” 

ENDS 

Notes to Editor  

For media enquiries please contact Andrew Brady on 07810157922. Email andrew.brady@unitetheunion.org Unite Scotland is the country’s biggest and most diverse trade union with around 150,000 members.