Durham University staff vote to strike over "untenable" working conditions

63% of UCU members who participated in the ballot voted for strike action on a turnout of 54%. 

The vote comes after the university slashed hundreds of jobs to make £20m of  budget cuts, refused to put in place any workload agreements for staff who remain, ran roughshod over  the collective agreements that exist to resolve disputes, and rebuffed all attempts to negotiate over working conditions and job security. 

UCU is demanding management starts following the disputes resolution procedure that it has previously signed off and agreed to abide by, begin meaningful negotiations, and improve working conditions and job security.  

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'Our members have been forced to take this action because Durham University is running roughshod over its own agreed policies and refuses to negotiate over our reasonable demands. 

'University management has axed hundreds of jobs, expects those who remain to take on the additional workload without an agreement over how it will be managed and ignores staff when they raise concerns through the agreed channels. No wonder staff are furious! 

'The university must now come back to the negotiating table or we will be forced to take strike action.' 

Durham UCU branch co-president Jamie Callahan said: 'Our workloads are completely untenable because management keeps on laying staff off and making repeated restructures without any proper consultation. Management needs to now do the right thing and begin working with us to improve staff work and student learning conditions.'