The union’s higher education committee (HEC) met yesterday (Wednesday 19 November) to discuss the USS pension dispute including the agreement to a programme of negotiations between now and 15 January 2015. HEC also considered the following statement on pay docking arising from last week’s negotiations:

“The University and College Union (UCU) and Universities UK (UUK) have confirmed, following discussions yesterday (Wednesday), an agreement to suspend the industrial action in relation to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pensions dispute from today (Thursday 20 November) until after the joint negotiating committee (JNC) meeting scheduled for Thursday 15 January 2015.

UCU and UUK have agreed to a series of negotiating meetings between now and the scheduled January JNC. It is hoped that this period can be used to close the differences between the negotiating positions, with a view to reaching agreement on reforms to the USS scheme.

Both parties are committed to seeking a joint proposal for reform that offers an affordable, sustainable and attractive pension scheme, for both current and future members. Both parties are pleased that the agreement to suspend industrial action at this early stage will mean that students will not have been adversely affected and members of staff will not have had pay deducted.”

HEC agreed on the above basis that the current boycott of assessment and any planned strike action related to punitive pay docking should be suspended with immediate effect until 16 January 2015. HEC also agreed that should any subsequent action by UCU next year attract punitive pay docking then national strike action would follow.

On behalf of HEC I would like to thank you for your continuing support of UCU in this dispute. The modest progress achieved so far has been as a result of your action in support of our negotiating strategy. The employers should be in no doubt that if agreement is not possible, UCU will call upon you to resume the action again in January.

Best wishes

Sally Hunt
UCU general secretary

The following letter appears in The Independent (scroll to bottom of linked page)

Students support academic boycott

From today, academic staff at 69 UK higher education institutions are set to begin a marking boycott; the next step in ongoing industrial action by the University and College Union. The proposed changes to pensions that have led to this action will cost university staff thousands of pounds a year in lost benefits and create inequality between institutions.

Since 2009, average academic pay has fallen by 14.5 per cent, while vice-chancellor salaries increased by 5.1 per cent in the past year alone. The average gender pay gap in higher education is 17 per cent, and 53 per cent of universities employ staff on zero-hours contracts.

Students are angry that this boycott is happening. But our anger is aimed squarely at university managements and Universities UK, who oversee lucrative salary increases for vice-chancellors while leaving staff out in the cold.

Any draconian response from universities – such as the legally dubious threat of withdrawing the full salary for those partaking in a boycott – will be met with discontent from students and staff, who are united on this issue.

Piers Telemacque
Vice President Society and Citizenship, NUS UK

Gordon Maloney
President, NUS Scotland

Malia Bouattia
National Black Students’ Officer, NUS UK

Shelly Asquith
President, SU Arts

Michael Segalov
Communications Officer, University of Sussex Students’ Union

Areeb Ullah
Vice President Education (Arts & Sciences) Kings College London Students’ Union

Susuana Antubam
National Women’s Officer, NUS UK

Fran Cowling
NUS LGBT National Officer

Harriet Pugh
Education Officer, University of Manchester Students’ Union

Bruce Galliver
President, Bath Spa Students’ Union

Lyndsay Burtonshaw
Activities Officer, University of Sussex Students’ Union

Yael Shafritz
President, University of Sheffield Students’ Union

Rosie Dammers
Wellbeing Officer, Manchester Students Union

Luke Jones
Group President, University of Wales Trinity Saint David Students’ Union

Joe O’Neill
Lancaster University Students’ Union, Vice President (Education)

Alice Phillips
Equality, Liberation & Access Officer, University of Bristol Students’ Union

Tom Phipps
Student Living Officer, University of Bristol Students’ Union

Alyx Murray-Jackman
Sport & Student Development Officer, University of Bristol Students’ Union

Holly Staynor
Welfare Officer, Union of UEA Students

Alex Bradbrook
Undergraduate Academic Experience Officer, University of Bristol Students’ Union

Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton
Co-President, Welfare & Diversity, Royal Holloway Students’ Union

Emma Peagam
President Education & Campaigns, Royal Holloway Students’ Union

Hannah Roberts
Education Officer, SUArts

Conor McGurran
Campaigns and Citizenship Officer, University of Manchester Students’ Union

Abraham Baldry
Presient, University of Sussex Students’ Union

Candic Armah
President, Brighton University Students’ Union

Howard Littler
President, Goldsmiths Students’ Union

Mostafa Rajaai
Culture and Diversity Officer, SUArts

Chris Jarvis
Union of UEA Students Campaigns and Democracy Officer

Rianna Gargiulo
Welfare Officer, University of Sussex Students’ Union

Bethan Hunt
Education Officer, University of Sussex Students’ Union

Dash Sekhar
Vice President Academic Affairs, Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Malaka Mohammed
Education Officer, University of Sheffield Students’ Union

Sebastian Bruhn
Community & Welfare Officer, LSE Students’ Union

Dario Celaschi
NUS London Trans* Officer & NUS NEC

Rianne Gordon
University of Westminster Students’ Union Vice President of Harrow

Sorana Vieru
Postgraduate Officer (Education & Welfare), University of Bristol Students’ Union

Emma Cook, President
Leeds College of Art Students’ Union

Dan Goss
Environment & Ethics Officer, University of Warwick Students’ Union

Alasdair Clark
Vice President Education and Representation, Fife College Students’ Association

Hannah Sketchley
Democracy & Communications Officer, UCL Students’ Union

Georgie Robertson
SOAS Students’ Union Co-President Welfare & Campaigns

Sayed Alkadiri
NUS London Black Students Officer

Hajera Begum
Black and Minority Ethnic Students Officer, UCL Students’ Union

Omar Raii
External Affairs & Campaigns Officer, UCL Students’ Union

Saffron Rose
Vice President Education at Leeds Beckett University Students’ Union

Rob Henthorn
President for Education, Aberdeen University Students’ Association

Annie Tidbury
Women’s Officer, UCL Students’ Union

Marianna Ceccotti
Postgraduate Student’s Officer, UCL Students’ Union

David Suber
SOAS Students’ Union Co-President, Democracy & Education

Rachel O’Brien
Community Action Officer, University of Birmingham Guild of Students

Christopher Jarrold
Ethical and Environmental Officer, University of Birmingham Guild of Students

Tom King
LGBTQ Officer, SOAS Students’ Union

Dan Greenberg
Operations Officer, University of Sussex Students’ Union

Kabir Joshi
SOAS Students’ Union Co-President, Activities & Events

Major concerns about a range of ethical issues have been raised with USS members in recent years – many of which may also put at risk the long term financial returns of our pension investments. As with the future of our pension scheme, the Trustee Board is not acting in our interests.

ShareAction have launched a petition, calling on our pension fund to properly listen to our views. They will submit the petition at USS’s annual Institutions’ Meeting on 4th December, so we have just six weeks to gather as many signatures as possible.

Please follow this link to find out more information, or to add your name to the petition.

http://listentouss.org/

Thank you.

Dear Colleagues,

From Thursday 6 November 2014, UCU members will be asked to participate in a comprehensive boycott of student assessment and examinations activity. UCU Press Statement.

All HW UCU members should receive an email today from UCU general secretary Sally Hunt, explaining the need to observe the assessment and marking boycott. Please contact the branch office if you have not received this.

Guidance and FAQs for branch officers and members – please have a look at this as soon as possible, UCU will produce additional FAQs as the dispute progresses. If you still have questions, please contact the branch office.

USS materials to support the boycott are available from the branch office, or can be downloaded at  http://defenduss.web.ucu.org.uk/resources/. These include:

• A briefing note for students (members should fee free to adapt this). The National Union of Students supports the union’s attempts to achieve a fair and sustainable settlement on behalf of members. They respectfully ask UCU members to take the time to explain to their students why you are taking action on this important issue. The NUS has also produced a Pensions Dispute Briefing for students.
• A campaign poster
• A campaign leaflet

Please contact the branch office or Catherine Ure Branch Secretary, if you require any further information.

Thank you for your support.

Thanks to all members who posted messages of support on the UCU wall of action yesterday.

Casualisation has a high political profile at the moment due to the issue of zero hours contracts, which are widely used in the HE sector. Please help UCU to keep the pressure on the government and political parties by writing to your MP.

All the political parties have policy on zero-hours contracts, but UCU doesn’t think it goes far enough, focusing on ‘exclusivity clauses’ and so-called ‘exploitative’ zero-hours contracts.

We want to keep the pressure on to toughen up these policies. Labour MP Ian Mearns is drafting a private members’ bill on properly controlling the use of zero-hours contracts. While this is unlikely to become legislation, the more support there is for the bill, the more party policy across the spectrum is likely to move in the right direction.

You can send a quick letter to your MP on this issue now, using, or adapting the model text below.

Please copy any replies you get to Murdo Mathison, Policy & Communications Officer, UCU Scotland.

Thank you.

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