Durham UCU members have given a clear mandate for strike action and action short of a strike in the USS pensions dispute with a record-breaking turnout. 63% of members voted, of whom 79.4% backed strike action and 88.9% backed action short of a strike.
This is a 10% increase in turnout compared to previous ballots, and gives a strong mandate for industrial action if the employer doesn’t back down on current proposals to slash pensions based on outdated figures based on the bottom of the pandemic slump.
The results of a ballot on pay and working conditions will be announced later.
| Individuals entitled to vote | 1123 |
| Votes cast | 708 |
| Percentage turnout | 63.0% |
ARE YOU PREPARED TO TAKE INDUSTRIAL ACTION CONSISTING OF STRIKE ACTION?
| Yes | 558 | 79.4% |
| No | 145 | 20.6% |
| Spoilt/invalid | 5 |
ARE YOU PREPARED TO TAKE INDUSTRIAL ACTION CONSISTING OF ACTION SHORT OF A STRIKE?
| Yes | 624 | 88.9% |
| No | 78 | 11.1% |
| Spoilt/invalid | 6 |
Full election return: https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/11934/Durham-University—USS-ballot-result/pdf/Durham_University_20211104.pdf