Current action suspended pending the outcome of further negotiations

The HE officers (on the advice of the union’s Superannuation Working Group) have now agreed that the employers should be notified that we are willing to suspend our current industrial action.

Negotiations will therefore resume shortly on the key issue of the comparability of the USS schemes with other public sector schemes, including TPS.

We now have the opportunity to talk to the employers about crucial aspects of the package imposed in October 2011, such as the: inflation cap, accrual rates, and revaluation indices, and the right to an un-reduced pension if made redundant. On this latter point, we have already won a 12-month extension to enable a joint review.

However, the HE officers have also agreed that we should not suspend the current industrial action on an open-ended basis or even to the end of the negotiating timetable. Instead, UCU will be reporting on progress to our June conference  so a decision can then be made then about our suspended action in the light of developments.

The USS negotiators have a tough task and I know you will give them every support.

Best as ever

Sally Hunt,
UCU General Secretary