Pay and the proposed pension cuts were the big issues of the day. An overwhelming majority of members indicated that they would be prepared to take action if an improved pay offer cannot be negotiated, and long-term solution put in place to secure pension benefits.
Four Fights One Voice
While executive pay is rising your pay has fallen by more than 20% in real terms since 2009. Staff are being asked to work hard and longer than ever. Women and black and minority ethnic staff still suffer significant pay discrimination. The use of precarious zero hours casual contracts remain entrenched. Our employers are failing to tackle these issues.
The USS Dispute
Universities UK who represent our employers want to end guaranteed pension benefits. This means that your pension will depend upon how ‘investments’ perform instead of your deferred salary contributions, you will end up paying more for less. A typical member on a lecturer’s salary, aged 37, will suffer a 35% loss to the guaranteed retirement benefits which they will build up over the rest of their career.
- UCU Pensions modeller
- USS Explained: Why you can’t ignore your pension (HWU login required) – A short video by HWUCU which explains the difference between DC and DB, how a DC pension might convert to an annuity and also the consequences for various pay levels of the UUK proposal
- It is folly to make pensions safe by making them unaffordable – an article by Martin Wolf in the FT “Given the time horizons of this scheme, even a huge bear market would not threaten its ability to meet its obligations. The only assumption under which the USS scheme could fail is a permanent end of economic growth”
Growing The Powerbase
We are a strong Branch with well-attended AGMs/EGMs and an active membership and Committee but we can always use more help. To find out more about the work of our local HWUCU branch please check out the rest of this website and our Twitter feed at @UCU_HWUBranch.
If you have a few spare moments and you would like to get more involved please get in touch with one of our school or service reps, or the Membership Officer. Contacts can be found at https://heriotwatt.web.ucu.org.uk/branchcommittee/
If you are not already a member here are 5 Reasons to Join UCU. It only takes 10 minutes and subscriptions start from just £2 per month, so why not join today?