UCU marking boycott suspended

The University and College Union’s (UCU) marking boycott over university pensions has been suspended in a joint agreement between UCU and Universities UK (UUK).

A joint statement published on both UCU’s and UUK’s websites states that the boycott, affecting Warwick and 68 other universities, will be suspended until after a Joint Negotiation Committee (JNC) meeting scheduled for January 15 2015.

UCU and UUK are currently in dispute over UUK’s proposed reforms to the Universities Superannuation Pension Scheme (USS), the principal pension scheme for academic and academically-related staff in UK universities.

UCU and UUK have now also agreed to a series of negotiating meetings before the JNC meeting, with a view to reaching agreement on reforms to the USS.

Their joint statement affirms that they are both “committed to seeking a joint proposal for reform that offers an affordable, sustainable and attractive pension scheme, for both current and future members.”

It adds that both parties are pleased that the early suspension of the boycott will mean it has not adversely affected students and staff will not have had their pay deducted for partaking.

Peter Dunn, head of press and policy at the University, told the Boar that the University welcomes both its suspension and, “the current constructive negotiations on the pensions issue.”

We welcome the fact that the employers did not press ahead with the very severe and detrimental changes that they were initially proposing.
Warwick UCU president

Dennis Leech, president of Warwick UCU stated: “We welcome the fact that the employers did not press ahead with the very severe and detrimental changes that they were initially proposing.

“We do not believe that they were justified on an objective basis. We consider that many of their assumptions are unduly pessimistic and overly prudent and their neoliberal economic reasoning is intellectually mistaken.”

Mr Leech believes that should the reforms go ahead they will have bad consequences for universities. He said, “These cuts will be so bad it will mean that the pre-92 universities (including Warwick and the rest of the Russell Group) will be offering much worse pensions.

“This is in comparison with the post-92 universities (such as Coventry University), and will materially undermine their competitive advantage.”

He added: “Nobody goes into academia or university administration for the money. What has always made the career worthwhile is the expectation of a secure pension at the end of forty years.

“If this is taken away it will make it more difficult for universities to attract the best staff which will harm UK higher education immensely.

“We hope that a reasonable compromise can be worked out.”