We Are The University industrial action ballot
In UK higher education, UCU is conducting an industrial action ballot involving 137 universities/higher education institutions (corresponding to 145 UCU branches). The ballot opened on Monday 20th October and closes at 5pm on Friday 28 November 2025.
Have you received your ballot paper?
It’s in a bright pink envelope and should be landing on your doormat any day now.
What’s inside the envelope?
There’s a ballot paper inside, along with an information sheet for members and a white pre-paid 1st class envelope to return your completed ballot paper in.
(no stamp needed!)
What do I need to do?
You need to have your say by answering the two questions on the ballot paper:
- Are you prepared to take industrial action consisting of strike action?
- Are you prepared to take industrial action consisting of action short of a strike action?
Answer each question by putting an X in the appropriate box.
Then fold up the completed ballot paper, put it into the pre-paid white envelope, seal it and put it in a post box.
How shall I vote?
How you vote is up to you. We recommend voting YES to question one and YES to question two!
Is my vote secret?
Yes. No one will know how you voted.
When do I need to vote by?
The ballot ends at 5pm on Friday 28 November 2025, but we encourage you to vote as soon as you receive your ballot paper.
What shall I do after I have voted?
Please tell us you have voted using this form. You don’t need to tell us how you voted, just tell us that you have voted
I haven’t received my ballot paper
You will be able to request a replacement ballot paper from Monday 27 October 2025 (09:00) to Sunday 23 November 2025 (23:59) using this form.
