A quorum was not met in our referendum regarding UCU Strike Action.
Following a recommendation from our SUmmit Committee, on 11 March the SU’s Board of Trustees gave notice of a referendum regarding the following question:
Should The SU adopt the following Standpoint: ‘Insufficient working conditions negatively affect the quality of teaching at the University, and the SU supports the UCU in industrial action against USS cuts, low pay, and insecure contracts’?
Polling was open from 12:00 18 March until 12:00 25 March. The quorum (minimum number of votes needed to make this vote valid) was 5% of eligible voters, which was 1,048 votes as of 18 March.
Result
Quorum: 1,048 | Votes Cast: 876
[YES: 624] | [NO: 239] | [Abstain: 13]
Therefore, the vote count did not reach quorum and no decision regarding the motion has passed.
This does mean that this Standpoint could still be approved at a SUmmit meeting or subsequent referenda in the future.
FAQs
What is a referendum? A referendum is an all-student vote that our members can participate in to vote ‘for’ or ‘against’ an issue. Members can also ‘abstain’ from the vote. In accordance with our Articles of Governance, to determine the outcome of a referendum:
- a quorum of 5% of Members is required to validate the referendum; and
- a simple majority of those voting is required.
What is UCU Industrial Action? You can read more about the current UCU Industrial Action on our Strikes webpage.
What is a Standpoint? A standpoint is a formal position that The SU adopts on a particular issue, topic, or aspect of University life. You can read more about Standpoints on our website – any student can propose one! Standpoints can be amended at SUmmit meetings at any time.