Durham University management plan to close​ one of the University’s main pension schemes, the Durham University Pensions Scheme (DUPS), to new starters on pay grades 1-5 from 1 November 2024. DUPS guarantees how much you earn after retirement, but earnings on the replacement scheme would be determined by the market value of investments. The proposed new scheme also sees the employer making far smaller contributions to employees’ pensions than they would have in DUPS. Closing DUPS will increase financial uncertainty in retirement for new staff across the university – cleaners, college porters, catering staff, learning and teaching staff within your department, to name a few. These are the people who make the University run.

If management get away with this closure, staff will have a harder time defending other defined benefit schemes (the schemes that provide that guaranteed income in retirement) like the USS scheme, for which staff across the university fought so hard through industrial action over the last few years.

All of the campus trade unions (UCU, Unite, Unison, and GMB) are working together to try and prevent this from happening, as we believe university management should not discriminate against our future colleagues and co-workers – people who are vitally important to your university experience. Please sign our petition if you think current and future lowest paid staff in the university should all have the option of a defined benefit pension offering greater security in retirement.

Whether you're a current student or employee, or an alumnus or former member of staff, all signatures are welcome.

You can read more about the proposed changes here.