THE SPECTRE of strike action by Dundee University staff was raised again last night by the Dundee University branch of the University and College Union.

Carlo Morelli, a member of the DUCU branch committee, warned that the group “no longer had confidence” in university secretary Dr David Duncan over a pay wrangle stretching back more than three years.

He refused to rule out the possibility of strikes by university staff unless they receive the incremental pay increases to which they believe they are entitled.

They say that the university has broken a written agreement made following a series of strikes by university staff across the country three years ago, in which some refused to teach classes or even mark students’ exam papers.

Thereafter Dundee University agreed to adopt a new pay and grading structure and to backdate pay, including incremental increases, to those staff whose grade was subsequently increased.

That re-grading exercise was completed in July this year, but it emerged yesterday that, under current university policies, incremental pay increases dating from 2006 would be not be included.

Last night a spokesperson for Dundee University said, “The re-gradings were backdated to August 2006 as per the national agreement.

“The union argued that these staff should also receive an increment on October 1 2006, whereas the university had paid an increment from October 1 2007.

“It is our standard practice not to pay an increment for the first six months following re-grading or promotion.

“The UCU asked the university to reconsider its position on this matter.

“The university agreed to look at what other institutions in the sector have done and to come back to the union in due course.”

Dr Morelli stressed that what other institutions had done was “irrelevant.”

“The university should not underestimate how angry people are about this,” he said. “It would be a matter for our members, but I wouldn’t rule out further strikes.”

The union also alleged that the university’s reticence to pay staff the incremental rises was due to financial difficulties caused by its extensive building programme.

However, the university spokesperson denied this, and stressed that they were still involved in discussions with the union.