For those that weren’t able to attend the meeting on Monday, the following links help explain the proposed changes to pensions.

Summaries

• Times Higher Education on the UCU independent analysis: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/pension-plans-would-cost-staff-tens-of-thousands-says-union/2016015.article
• Times Higher Education article on UCU modelling http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/uss-reforms-seen-as-radical-attack-on-pensions/2015786.article
• The proposed changes made simple: Leeds UCU slides

More detailed information

UCU website http://defenduss.web.ucu.org.uk/

Many non UCU members will be unaware of the proposed changes to USS pensions. Please discuss with colleagues and direct them to the links above, if they wish to join they can do so at http://join.ucu.org.uk/. A ballot paper will automatically be sent to anyone joining by 14 October.

Dear colleague,

I am writing to you because like most other staff at your institution you are likely to be a member of the USS pension scheme. I wanted you to know that Universities UK have recently asked your employer to consider proposals which would mean a reduction of thousands of pounds in the annual pension for most members. That is why UCU has called a ballot for industrial action which starts on 1st October.

The proposals include the closure of the final salary section of USS, the move of all members into an inferior career average scheme, a £40,000 earnings cap above which benefits will not apply, and a new defined contribution pot the income from which would depend upon investment performance and would not be guaranteed.

Whether you are currently in the final salary section, already in the career average section or have not yet joined USS the proposals will likely mean a reduction in the worth of your annual pension of thousands of pounds according to analysis undertaken for UCU by independent experts First Actuarial. The table below gives a few examples of typical career paths and is worth printing out.

Next week as the ballot opens we will send every member a detailed First Actuarial analysis of the proposed changes which contains many more examples than I have space for above.

What you should also know is that the proposals will mean your pension will be worth less than that of someone on the same salary and working in a new university but who is a member of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) rather than USS. Even allowing for higher contribution rates in TPS, the difference is startling. Someone aged 40 with 15 years’ service who retires on £45,954 would have an annual pension worth 56% more in TPS than in USS.

When one considers that USS institutions often in other contexts describe themselves as some sort of higher education elite, it seems extraordinary that they are prepared to see an important benefit such as the pension fall so far below the going rate in other universities.

That is why UCU’s USS conference held last Friday agreed to a ballot for industrial action unless agreement can be reached. As I have said, the ballot will begin next Wednesday, 1 October. Given the employers’ determination to push through these detrimental proposals, we will need to take serious industrial action. Conference agreed that this would take the form of a ban on the setting or assessment of work, and that any attempts to impose punitive pay deductions in response would lead to national strike action.

As I hope you can see, this is a very significant attack on your pension income, and one that the union and its members must respond to. If we are to persuade the employers to back down, we will need a clear, decisive and substantial mandate from you. I hope you vote yes to defend your retirement income but whatever your views, it is vital that you participate. Please share my message with colleagues who are not in the union and suggest they at join us today so they can help us defend pensions. I will write again next week as the ballot opens.

Sally Hunt UCU general secretary

PS You can find more information here.

UCU is supporting a project conducted by Vitae which aims to trace what researchers do when they move out of higher education and into other sectors. If you know someone who was a researcher and has moved on to another career outside the sector, please email them and urge them to take part in this project.

 Please add your name to an international union campaign to get University College London and seven other foreign universities to improve the conditions of migrant workers’ on their Qatar campuses. For more detail please see here and here.

21 August 2014

University College London (UCL) is under international pressure to do more to help workers on its campus in Qatar.

• UCU says UCL cannot wash its hands of sub-contractors’ exploitation of workers in Qatar
• UCL among eight leading institutions targeted in international campaign to stop ‘modern-day slavery’
• UCL admits concerns over working practices in Qatar that don’t fit with its ‘world view’

UCL is one of eight universities from the UK, US and France criticised by the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) for not clamping down on the poor treatment of workers in Qatar working on their campuses. The ITUC has recently exposed modern-day slavery of workers building for the controversial 2022 FIFA World Cup.

UCU is backing the campaign and said it was disappointed UCL had not accepted responsibility for the welfare of people working on its Qatari campus. UCU said that the university should be setting an example to the rest of the world through challenging human rights violations and promoting academic freedoms, not using sub-contractors to try and discharge itself of responsibility.

In a letter to the ITUC, UCL claimed the ITUC’s examples of workers being exploited were employed by sub-contracting firms contracted by the Qatar Foundation. UCL said it has no direct influence over the sub-contractors, even if their practices do not fit its ‘world view’. It does concede that it is concerned about working conditions in Qatar.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: ‘Our universities have a duty to ensure that people working on their foreign campuses have access to the same rights as they would be afforded in the UK. UCL should be using its influence to end this type of modern-day slavery and challenge practices that risk curtailing important academic freedoms. Hiding behind sub-contractors is indefensible.’

UCU will be working with the ITUC to promote a petition that calls for an end modern day slavery on campuses. For copies of the correspondence between the ITUC and UCL, contact the UCU press office.

Dan Ashley
press@ucu.org.uk
Tel:020 7756 2600
Mobile: 07789 518 992
Fax:020 7756 2501

UCU Scotland is calling on the Scottish government to bring in stronger rules to improve universities governance. Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of a code of governance coming into effect and the deadline universities were given to implement the changes the code required of them.

The union says that there is unfinished business to further improve how universities are run and to ensure better accountability and transparency at the top level of decision making.

The code of good governance was put together by chairs of university governing bodies, assisted by some retired university managers. At the time UCU criticised it as a code written for managers by managers, and expressed concerns that it would not make much difference to the way that universities operate.

The union still has questions about how big decisions are made in universities, and believes that greater accountability and transparency will lead to better outcomes for students and education generally. UCU wants to see students and staff given a place at the top table to ensure better scrutiny of key decisions.

UCU Scotland President, David Anderson, said: UCU Scotland will be closely monitoring the difference that the code, which formally comes into effect tomorrow, will make. We will continue to campaign to give more say to staff and student governors on issues such as principals pay, for better gender balance on governing bodies, and for more democracy within governing bodies. We are urging the Scottish Government to bring forward new legislation to do this.

Murdo Mathison
edinburgh@ucu.org.uk

Colleagues,

July 23 2014 will mark 100 days since 219 schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria were abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

The ‘A World at School’ campaign launched by Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy on Global Education, is marking the day with a new mobilisation effort to show “communal solidarity” with the girls and their families and to reiterate the call to Nigerian authorities to increase efforts to bring back the abducted girls.  This campaign is supported by Education International (http://www.ei-ie.org/en/uaas/uaa_details/55).

You can help to show solidarity by doing the following:

1.  Send appeals using the following model letter,  to the Nigerian authorities:

His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
GCFR President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Office of the President, Nigerian Presidential Complex
Aso Rock Presidential Villa
Abuja, Nigeria
Email: info@nigeria.gov.ng

His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
GCFR President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

On July 23 2014, it will be 100 days since 219 schoolgirls were abducted from Chibok by the terrorist group Boko Haram. As educators, we believe and support the right of girls to be educated without fear and violence.  We therefore urge the Nigerian authorities to:

• Strengthen security and ensure the protection of teachers, students, schools and the entire education system in Nigeria;
• Increase all efforts to bring the abducted girls, as well as all other abducted civilians, back to their families and ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice; and to
• Increase the percentage of GDP spent on education to meet the target of 6% as recommended by the United Nations.

The fate of the girls is of enormous concern to us all who believe and campaign for the right of girls to be educated equally with boys, and without fear and violence.

2. Contact your Government and the diplomatic representation of Nigeria requesting them to engage with the Nigerian authorities
3. Encourage your branch to join the campaign #BringBackOurGirls on Facebook and Twitter

Apologies for any cross-posting.

Best wishes

Sharon Russell
Equality Officer
Equality and Participation

University and College Union
Carlow Street
London NW1 7LH
Tel: 020 7756 2538
Web: www.ucu.org.uk