The University and College Union branch at the University of Dundee has secured a mandate for 25 days of strike action, spread across each weekday from 21 September to 23 October 2026. The move comes amid ongoing disagreement over proposed cuts of around 190 to 200 jobs, intended to deliver savings of £20 million following an earlier announcement of a potential deficit.
Since the dispute began in late 2024 the university has already lost 815 posts. That scale of reduction, combined with the threat of compulsory redundancies, has left staff warning of irreversible damage to teaching and research capacity.
Data from the ballot held on 9 June 2026 showed 78 per cent support for strikes and 88 per cent backing for action short of strike, with the mandate running until June 2027. The timing, coinciding with the start of the new academic year, will test the resilience of an institution still attempting to stabilise its finances.
University managers have expressed disappointment at the length of the planned walkout and urged the union to suspend action while collective consultation continues. A spokesperson said most staff would continue working as normal and that efforts would be made to limit disruption for students.
No one wants to take strike action, and the impact on students is hugely regretful but the fact is that another 200 staff members facing redundancy, on top of the over 800 who have already gone, will have a bigger impact on the university and on our students and their education than anything else imaginable.
Ian Ellis, co-president of Dundee UCU, issued that assessment in a recent statement. His remarks capture the central tension: both sides claim to prioritise students, yet neither has so far found sufficient common ground to avert prolonged industrial action.
The human costs are already visible. Remaining lecturers face increased workloads after successive rounds of voluntary departures. Students, particularly those beginning courses in September, risk fragmented teaching, delayed feedback and uncertainty over assessment. International enrolments, a key income source for many UK universities, may be deterred by the prospect of disrupted semesters.
