Independent Workers Union of Great Britain – Universities of London Branch

Headline terms of deal agreed at ACAS

• DB remain place for next 3 years
• Alternative scheme options to be considered for after this 3 yr period
• Higher contributions from both employers and employees
• Salary threshold reduced to £42K

https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/9300/Agreement-reached-between-UCU-and-UUK-under-the-auspices-of-ACAS/pdf/UCU_UUK_agreement_at_ACAS_12_March_Final.pdf

The IWGB believes that

1. this should be seen as a massive victory and vindication of prolonged industrial action 2. this offer still entails an unnecessary pay cut & erodes DB going forward.

NEVER ACCEPT THE FIRST OFFER! THEY WILL GO HIGHER! REJECT THE DEAL!

Just a quick update as we move into week 4 of the strikes!

1. Talks between UCU and UUK will resume on Monday – UCU say:
   ‘There has been constructive engagement and progress on the challenging issues in the dispute. Talks will continue on Monday, although both sides will be working over the weekend. For the avoidance of doubt, the strikes remain on.’
2. 32 universities have now come out in support of maintaining the defined benefit scheme / accepting a higher level of risk, including Oxford and Cambridge.
3. There’s a great letter from the Master of Churchill College here – https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/news/2018/mar/9/letter-master-athene-donald-alistair-jarvis-uuk/
4. More than 10,000 people have signed the petitionto make UUK subject to the Freedom of Information Act (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/214119)
5. Students have massively supported the strike, and been in occupation in universities across the country, including Bath, Exeter, Leicester and UCL.
6. We’ve seen worldwide solidarity from other unions (including Toronto, pictured)

IN SHORT – WE ARE WINNING! KEEP UP THE PRESSURE, COME TO THE PICKET AND HELP MAKE HISTORY AND SAVE OUR PENSIONS

See below for a letter of support over pensions from our SAS students!

Dear Professor Sir Adrian

We are students in the School of Advanced Study writing to you with regard to the ongoing USS pension dispute.

We are fully in support of all staff taking action in response to planned changes to their pensions, which will close the defined benefit element of the scheme and lead to estimated losses of up to £10k a year in retirement income.

We believe that these changes are based on an inaccurate valuation of the scheme and are therefore unnecessary.

We do not wish to be taught in an environment where staff terms and conditions are relentlessly worsened, and in addition recognise that for many of us these are also our own future terms and conditions.

We therefore call on you to make a clear statement of support for your staff, and a commitment from the University of London that it will add its voice to those calling for the USS pension scheme to be retained in its current form.

Yours sincerely,

Charlotte Berry, IHR

Mike Brownlee, IHR

Kathleen McIlvenna, IHR

Roger Woods, IHR

Alexander Curry, ILAS

Jose Luis Guevara Salamanca, ILAS

Lilija Alijeva, ICwS

Daniela Zanini, IMLR

Matt Kinsella, HRC

Hari Mountford, IMLR

Voula Zarra, IES

Martina Mastandrea, IES

Stephanie Homer, IMLR

Francielle Carpenedo, IMLR

Ala Al-Mahaidi, ICwS

Cheryl Bellisario, ICwS

Karen E. McCallum, ICwS

Lara Haladjian, ICwS

Isobel Archer, ICwS

Cassandra Soderstrom, ICwS

Sonya Rahaman, ICwS

Marilia Arantes, ILAS

Mayaan Niezna, IALS

Tatiana Suarez, ILAS

Dean Thompson, ICwS

The pension strike is nearing the end of its 3^rd week – the last day is tomorrow (Thursday 8 March), with the whole of next week designated for strike action.

On a national level it has been a massive success – every day more Vice-Chancellors have come out to call for a resolution to the strike which meets staff demands, and talks are continuing at ACAS with an offer from the employers expected later today. Here’s a report from the BBC on how Oxford have just changed their position – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-43316336

All we need to do is keep up the pressure! Many of us have been on strike the whole time, many more have taken some part in the action.

Now more than ever we need your help – remember we are fighting for everyone’s pensions. To ensure the strike stays strong enough to get a firm commitment to keep defined benefit pensions we need others to share the burden.

If you have not yet been on strike please join us – tomorrow is the national Women’s Strike and it would be great if we could have a strong presence on the picket line before the rally in Russell Square at 1pm.

See below for some tips from UCU as to what you can do to support the strike in other ways.

1.   Please send an email to our senior leaders to express your concern, and that it is in the University of London’s best interest to do whatever they can to help resolve this issue as quickly as possible. Please remind them that this organisation depends on all our good will, and tell them that you, as a colleague, are appalled that these changes to our pension are even being considered.

   2.    Please consider wearing displays of support like the popular ‘There Is No USS Deficit’ badge. It would be hugely helpful to show that you do not believe the narrative that these cuts are necessary – the Financial Times and many other established commentators have seriously questioned the USS valuation they are based on, and it is rapidly losing any kind of credibility.

   3. Use the super simple tool provided by UCU to contact your MP and ask them to help protect our pensions: https://www.ucu.org.uk/USS-emailyourMP– It takes less than a minute!

   4.    Please be aware that the USS employee consultation phase begins on 19th March. All USS pension holders should voice concern and use this to put as much pressure on USS in this way, too, not to go ahead with reforms as currently planned.

   5.    Last but not least: as stated before it is never too late to start striking yourself. We have already been tremendously successful – the renewed talks between UUK and UCU this week would not have taken place without the strikes. It is now more important than ever to keep up the pressure and realise the enormous power we, the 190,000 pension holders, have collectively. And remember: if we win this dispute, we will all benefit!

The IWGB can confirm that having chased our original email re health and safety during the pension strikes (iwgb-universityoflondon.org/2018/02/25/health-and-safety-during-the-current-industrial-action/) we have received a reply from the University which solely states that our ‘points have been noted’.

This can presumably be interpreted as meaning that no measures have been taken to ensure that the University is safe, despite the absence through industrial action of fire marshals etc.

Please bear this in mind when working in the building or inviting visitors…