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· UCU
welcomes suggestions Universities UK now ready to talk having
previously claimed it had final agreement on pensions
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· Union
supports call from universities minister for “talks without
preconditions”
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· Union
thanks politicians and vice-chancellors for pressuring UUK back
to the table
The University and College Union (UCU) has welcomed reports today
(Thursday) that Universities UK (UUK), which represents
universities, may finally be ready to restart negotiations over
changes to the USS pension scheme. The union said that if UUK was
serious about proper negotiations then it was happy to meet any
time.
UUK has come under increasing pressure from
staff, students, its
own vice-chancellors and
politicians to get back into talks with UCU. Today both Labour
leader and universities
minister called for
talks. Mr Gyimah proposed “talks without preconditions” and
UCU said it would be happy to meet on that basis.
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: ‘I have made it clear from
the start of this dispute that this mess can only be resolved by
negotiation. We have been calling for talks for weeks either
directly or through Acas, so if UUK are willing to now meet
without preconditions with a view to resolving this dispute this
good news.
‘Students should never have been put in this position. I would
like to thank the universities minister , Labour leader and student leaders for the
pressure they have put on universities to start negotiating
again. We wait to see what UUK has to say.’
Back in November UUK presented proposals to axe the defined
benefit system of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
pensions and has since refused to move from that position.
Then a month ago it said the matter was closed, saying
the proposal put forward by
UUK on pension reform had been “agreed”. However today
UUK released
a videosaying there had in fact been no agreement on
how best to tackle the pensions problem. It also seemed to
suggest in a press
release that it was keen to talk.
