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Students demand living wage for all Dundee University staff

From left: Alexis Nelson, Amber Plumbly, Erin Mulhatton, Craig McCluskie, Mary May Holland and Connor McElwaine outside DUSA.
From left: Alexis Nelson, Amber Plumbly, Erin Mulhatton, Craig McCluskie, Mary May Holland and Connor McElwaine outside DUSA.

Dundee University students have staged a protest calling for the introduction of the living wage for all staff.

About 50 people attended Tuesday’s rally outside Dundee University Students Association from 12.30pm and heard from speakers including councillors, union activists and students involved in the campaign.

Connor McElwaine, one of the organisers of the rally, said: “Currently there are 152 university staff who are not paid a living wage, which means they are living in poverty, and we find this unacceptable.

“The university could quite easily find the money to commit to a living wage. In most cases this would be a small increase in pay and it is a disgrace that a prestigious university like Dundee, that had a surplus of over £6 million last year, can’t seem to get this done.”

Connor added that principal Pete Downes had been invited to attend the event but he was out of Dundee on university business.

Another activist, Amber Plumbly, said: “It is really disappointing that our principal didn’t show up to this meeting we’ve been trying to organise with him since November last year. Our university will play a key role in Dundee potentially being named UK City of Culture it’s a disgrace that they cannot find the will to lift people out of poverty.”

Councillor Richard McCreedy, who spoke at the rally, said he was a big supporter of the campaign for the living wage and thought as it is a public sector employer the university should follow Dundee City Council’s example and implement it.

He added: “I think a variety of universities are already paying the living wage so I would like to see it introduced at Dundee University. I hope the university will see students and staff joining together making their case for fairness for staff.”

A spokesman for the university said: “We note the strength of feeling amongst the student body on this issue, but also recognise that it is a complex issue.”

He said the issue had been discussed in February and was now being looked into by the university’s human resources committee which is due to report back on its findings.

After this it is expected the university will be in a position to make a formal policy statement in relation to the living wage.