Independent Workers Union of Great Britain – Universities of London Branch

UCLU, in conjunction with workers, activists and organisers from the 3 Cosas Campaign and the IWGB union, is running a series of workshops for students interested in learning how to organise and campaign on campus and beyond.

The workshops will cover among other things:
• Running a successful strike
• Organising a workplace or campus
• Employment law and workplace representation
• Recruitment
• Campaign tactics
• Social media

All welcome – please contact Omar Rai on 07896827144 or just turn up on the day!

There’s due to be a meeting between management and union representatives today to discuss London Weighting, which hopefully will see some concrete proposals put forward.

The staff campaign has definitely had an effect, and it would be great to keep the pressure up. In the interests of doing this, we’ve put together a website, which has lots of hopefully helpful information on it, and also an email for everyone to send to HR explaining why we deserve a proper increase in London Weighting.

Please do send this via http://www.uollondonweighting.uk/london-weighting-claim-mail-kim-frost – it should only take a second, and it would really good if as many different people as possible let the University know our views.

Please do feedback on the website as well – it’s just a work in progress, and we need other people to help out!

WHAT IS THE DISPUTE ABOUT?

The proposed changes will:

• cost current and future members thousands of pounds a year in lost benefits
• close the final salary section of USS and move all into the career average scheme
• introduce a £40,000 earnings cap above which benefits will not apply
• the income from a new ‘defined contribution pot’ will depend upon investment performance and so cannot be guaranteed.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO ME?

• lower benefits
• less guaranteed income in retirement
• a worse pension than that received by academic staff at new universities who are members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).

SO MEMBERS OF USS WILL GET LESS THAN COLLEAGUES IN THE NEW UNIVERSITIES IN TPS?

• Yes, on a like-for-like basis USS members will have significantly lower pension benefits than colleagues who are members of TPS.
• For example, someone aged 40 with 15 years scheme membership who retires at 68 on £45,954, their total benefits converted to annual pension would be 38.5% higher per year in TPS than in USS.
• This is likely to lead to recruitment and retention problems with staff opting for the employers who offer the best pensions.

IS USS REALLY IN DEFICIT?

• The next valuation is expected to show a deficit, but the USS projections involved are contested by UCU and we believe the employers’ proposals are an overreaction.
• Since 2011, the fund’s investments have grown by £8bn.
• Returns on investment have outperformed both average earnings and inflation.
• Last year the fund’s highest paid employee received a pay increase of 50% (to £900k) in reward for ‘sustained outperformance’.

ARE UNIVERSITIES STRUGGLING?

• No. Pre-92 institutions are doing well. There is simply no case for the pensions they offer to be inferior to those offered by new universities.
• Overall income for pre-92 institutions has grown by more than a quarter over the last five years
  Staff costs as a proportion of income have continued to fall to now sit at 52.3%

The IWGB will be consulting over industrial action relating to this attack on many of our members’ pensions – let us know what you think, or ask at any questions at uol@iwgb.org.uk.

We’re had a great response to our campaign to attract volunteers, translators and case workers, giving the branch a a much increased capacity in these areas. We’re now able to provide translation into Polish as well as Spanish, and have trainee lawyers who will be able to take on more and complicated case work. All members experiencing any problems at work, or with any questions should contact us at uol@iwgb.org.uk.

We’re of course always looking for more people to get involved, especially branch members, so if you are interested in helping out in any way (or just fancy seeing the new office) do drop Henry a line (henrychangolopez@iwgb.org.uk).

Hasta la victoria siempre!

All members are invited to attend our next branch meeting, which will be held from 1pm onwards this Friday (19 September) in the Institute of Education, room S16.

We know everyone has a different lunch / end of shift time – please just come when you can.

We’ll be talking about London Weighting (fabulous all-staff meeting this week!), the Garden Halls and much more.

Any questions, or you can’t find the room, just give Catherine a shout on catherinemorrissey@iwgb.org.uk.

There’s going to be an all-staff meeting about the London Weighting claim tomorrow, Tuesday 16 September, at 12.30 in the IHR Common Room, which has reopened in the North Block of Senate House.

University management is meeting staff representatives this month to discuss the claim for an increase to £4000. What do you think the University should do? And what should we do if our claim is rejected?

Come and have your say – this affects us all, so all ideas welcome! Any questions, contact Catherine at catherinemorrissey@iwgb.org.uk

HELP US WIN A LONDON WEIGHTING FIT FOR 2014, NOT 1992!

The Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union has been representing and organising staff at the University of London since April 2013 and is now the biggest branch on campus. We are a democratic, worker-led union, all our achievements are thanks to volunteer work by dedicated members and supporters. Outsourced staff members won the London Living Wage and through our widely supported 3 Cosas campaign, members also won sick pay, annual leave and pensions. So far we have made a big impact fighting for collective rights however, we need volunteers to help us take on an increasing amount of work. Most members are lower paid, migrant workers and some employers try to take advantage by ignoring the law in the hopes that no one will notice. We have grown dramatically over the past year that our resources are struggling to meet the financial demands of casework, strikes and other actions. Our funding comes from very low membership dues and donations and we need the help from volunteers to take some of the pressure off our active membership.

See all available posts here.