500 signatures reached
To: Universities UK
We support the UCU strike for pensions
Engage meaningfully in negotiation with UCU, submit the USS scheme to independent and transparent valuation and agree to UCU's proposals to maintain the sustainability of the scheme.
Why is this important?
The university employer body, Universities UK (UUK), has proposed an end to the defined benefit portion of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), drastically reducing the retirement income and security of affected staff. Independent modelling of what the changes would mean for a typical lecturer found they could lose as much as £10,000 a year in retirement income.
USS benefits are already lower than other teaching staff pension schemes. These cuts will only weaken both the position of staff in the scheme and the attraction of working in institutions where USS is offered.
That’s why USS members in the University and College Union (UCU) have voted overwhelmingly for sustained strike action to defend their pensions from these damaging changes.
Strikes which disrupt students’ learning are always a last resort and we are committed to resolving this dispute by meaningful negotiation if possible, but as no agreement has been reached a wave of national strikes began on 22nd February 2018 and is scheduled to continue until 16th March.
We support the UCU members taking strike action and call on UUK to engage meaningfully in negotiation with UCU, submit the USS scheme to independent and transparent valuation and agree to UCU's proposals to maintain the sustainability of the scheme. For more on UCU's proposal see www.ucu.org.uk/article/9364/Further-talks-agreed-in-universities-pensions-dispute?utm_source=lyr-ucu-members&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=members&utm_term=uss-all&utm_content=USS+update
