Scottish Greens stand in solidarity with Dundee Uni staff and students
Scottish Greens MSP and Dundee University Rector, Maggie Chapman, will join staff and students on the picket line outside the Tower Building on Perth Road, Dundee, as five weeks of strike action begins.
Maggie, who represents Dundee as an MSP for North East Scotland and is the university’s elected Rector, has pledged her support to staff and students facing what she has described as “management-inflicted vandalism” at the university.
Maggie said:
“Staff and students did not cause the management-inflicted chaos at Dundee University, but they are paying the price for it.
“Nobody goes on strike lightly. The fact that staff have taken this decision shows just how deep the strength of feeling is across the campus and how much anger there is at the hundreds of roles that have already been cut.
“The crisis facing Dundee University is the result of years of catastrophic leadership, failed governance and appalling decision-making at the top.
“Some of those responsible have now gone. With a new Principal and Vice Chancellor about to take office, I hope management will turn the page, listen to staff and students, and give reassurance to everyone worried about their livelihoods.
“As both an MSP and Rector, I have heard directly from staff and students who are deeply concerned about what the future holds for the university and for Dundee.”
Maggie added:
“Some of the challenges facing Dundee University are unique to the institution. But others reflect pressures across the whole sector and the urgent need to secure a sustainable future for higher education.
“My solidarity is with all university workers and students taking strike action across the country.
“In many respects, Dundee is the canary in the coalmine. What is happening here underlines the urgent need to listen to staff and students, learn from the failures of the past, and give this institution the brighter future it deserves.”