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Category Archives: Pensions

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Shadow secretary of state pledges full solidarity with ‘brilliant university staff’

Posted on 5 December 2017 by Alan Smith5 December 2017

UCU has received a statement of support Angela Rayner, the shadow Secretary of State for Education, pledging full solidarity with ‘our brilliant university staff’. She also calls for negotiations for ‘as long as it takes’ to find a solution. “I am deeply concerned by the proposed changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) which would leave hundreds of thousands of staff in many of our biggest universities significantly worse off in retirement. Decent pay and working conditions for those who work in education are vital to the success of the National Education Service that Labour is planning. We want our brilliant university staff to stay in UK higher education and to continue working for the public good. A race to the bottom will only create a brain drain in this crucial sector that the UK can ill afford. The last thing students and their parents need right now is a prolonged dispute in which they get caught in the middle. I would urge both sides, aided by USS and ACAS if necessary, to agree to sit down and negotiate for as long as it takes to agree an equitable solution. USS is the largest private pension scheme in the UK … continue reading

Posted in Campaigns, Dispute, Pensions

Pensions – please let us know when you’ve voted

Posted on 1 December 2017 by Alan Smith22 January 2018

It would be great if you would let us know when you’ve voted in the pensions industrial action ballot by emailing ucu@leeds.ac.uk with the word ‘voted’ in the subject box. (We’re not asking what you voted.) This will help us to remind colleagues who may have forgotten to vote, so we can deal with the obstacle of the Tory anti-strike law which says unions have to get a 50% turnout but forbids us from using electronic voting or having ballot boxes in the workplace because these would increase the turnout. (We will try not to ask you again once you’ve either told us you’ve voted or that you don’t want a reminder.) If you haven’t received your ballot paper by Monday 4 December, you can request a replacement by going to ucu.org.uk/ussballotrequest For the latest updates on the pensions dispute see the national UCU website www.ucu.org.uk/uss   … continue reading

Posted in Campaigns, Dispute, Dispute advice, Pensions

National action on pensions: inaccuracies in management statement on USS

Posted on 30 November 2017 by Alan Smith30 November 2017

Yesterday, our university management posted an update on the USS Pension scheme, under “latest news” which has led to queries from members. The university management’s statement contains a wholly inaccurate claim that the USS pensions dispute is “not a national ballot” and goes on to claim the “University is the subject of a dispute which we have no power to resolve.” In fact, save for one detail, UCU is following the same process as we always do in a national ballot – which is to serve individual ballot notices to each institution on whose behalf negotiations are being conducted. The only difference in this ballot is that, as our first national ballot since the unfair, anti-trade union Trade Union Act passed in 2016, every ballot now has to pass a 50 per cent threshold before action can take place. UCU has therefore decided to count each ballot separately in order to maximise the opportunity for branches to take action and minimise the possibility that low turnout in one or two institutions would stop action elsewhere. Every USS branch is being balloted, and this is a national campaign. Two Leeds UCU officers (Lesley and Vicky) are members of the UCU’s Higher Education Committee. They were both … continue reading

Posted in Campaigns, Dispute, Pensions

Christmas carolling 5th December

Posted on 28 November 2017 by editor15 December 2017

Leeds UCU will be making our views known about our statutes dispute and about pensions in a very festive way at lunchtime on Tuesday 5th December.  We’ll be singing Christmas carols – with slightly different lyrics – around campus, with a brass accompaniment. The ‘UCU choir’ is great fun, and you don’t need to be a good singer, just come along and enjoy yourself.  Festive costume (e.g. tinsel) entirely optional. We’ll be assembling at 1pm in room G.03, Baines Wing for a quick practice before going off to sing our hearts out. We’d love to have suitable lyrics for more Christmas carols – send your suggested wording to ucu@leeds.ac.uk And how would you complete a Christmas card to management that starts “All I want for Christmas is…”?  Send us your thoughts! Some festive decorations: … continue reading

Posted in Campaigns, Dispute, Pensions, Statutes

Action Group meeting 7 November

Posted on 3 November 2017 by editor130 November 2017

All members are welcome to the next Action Group meeting on Tuesday 7 November from 1-2 pm (see email for venue).  Please come along to work on the next steps in the Statutes campaign, including discussing future action and to help develop the inspiring ‘University of the Aire’ theme which emerged in the ‘Striking Insights’ teach-out.

Posted in Campaigns, Dispute, Pensions, Statutes, Uncategorized

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Christmas carolling and guerilla baubling

Posted on 10 December 2019 by editor110 December 2019

Leeds UCU members seem to enjoy a sing song, judging by your enthusiastic participation in the songs at our strike rallies! It was great to have our ‘woodwind section’ entertaining us and leading us. We are probably the only UCU branch with a bassoonist, flautist and clarinet player on the picket lines! So you’ll be pleased to hear we are getting together again to sing our alternative Christmas carols – you can find them in the Leeds UCU songbook at https://tinyurl.com/t7vsy8e (scroll down). There’s also a rather brilliant ASOS version of ‘Down by the picket line’. Meet on Friday 13th December at 12:30 by the wavy lines sculpture. And how about some creative guerrilla baubling?  There are many Christmas trees around campus which could be made lovelier with the addition of some UCU baubles, and it would be splendid to see photos tweeted (use hashtags #ucuASOS #guerrillabaubling #UCUchristmas, and tag @leedsucu) Templates are here (various wording) and here (blank) – feel free to adapt them or make your own. … continue reading

Posted in Open meetings and events, Uncategorized

Dispute information

Posted on 5 December 2019 by Alan Smith5 December 2019

Everything you need to know from from UCU nationally Advice and information about the strikes, including detailed advice for migrant members with a visa Local information Reporting strike action, and guidance on action short of a strike Updated details on the local hardship fund, after members voted to increase the support available at general meeting 3 December (Link to key information posted in advance of the strike, for reference) … continue reading

Posted in Dispute advice

Reporting strike action, and guidance on Action Short of a Strike

Posted on 4 December 2019 by editor14 December 2019

Reporting strike action On Thursday 5th December, or on your first day back if you don’t work Thursdays, you should report that you took strike action, via ESS or by email to industrialaction@leeds.ac.uk, as set out in the email from HR on 18th November. You should also report that you are taking ASOS. If you are on a visa, it’s extra important that you are recorded as having been on strike, otherwise it could count as unauthorised absence which could affect your visa – you might like to report by email and ask for confirmation that your report has been recorded. Guidance on ASOS We will be doing the ASOS which was set out in the voting papers for the ballot, and which you voted overwhelmingly for. We are asking you to: work to contractnot cover for absent colleaguesnot reschedule lectures or classes cancelled due to strike actionnot undertake any voluntary activities Your committee, with the help of the packed General Meeting on 3 December, has put together the a document containing local ASOS guidance, available here: www.leedsucu.org.uk/asos-guidance-from-leeds-ucu/ Also see the national FAQ at www.ucu.org.uk/he-action-faqs Note in particular that our university management have softened their approach compared to 2018 – … continue reading

Posted in Dispute, Dispute advice, Dispute information

Local Hardship Fund

Posted on 3 December 2019 by Jonathan Saha10 December 2019

At our General Meeting on 3 December we unanimously passed a motion revising the rules for our local Hardship Fund to allow us to provide greater support to members facing financial difficulties due to pay deductions for striking. The local Hardship Fund will work alongside and in addition to the UK-wide Fighting Fund. Members should apply to the Fighting Fund for support initially, except where claiming for days of strike action not covered by the Fighting Fund (day 1 for those earning less than £30,000 gross annually, days 1 and 2 for those earning more than £30,000 gross annually). The local Hardship Fund will the supplement the UK-wide Fighting Fund, or provide support where the UK-wide Fighting Fund cannot. The new rules mean that the Hardship Fund: Will comply with the appended guidance from UCU to ensure continued solvency of the branch, and that the branch is able to continue to meet all its usual commitments for and on behalf of members;Will be managed by local branch officers a panel of at least three elected branch officers, including the Treasurer;Will prioritise members in precarious, low paid work, as per national and local priorities;Will also prioritise members who can demonstrate that … continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Disputes, Hardship Fund

Two responses to the recent Gryphon editorial on our strike

Posted on 3 December 2019 by admin3 December 2019

From the picket lines this week, two committee members offered polite responses to an editorial in the Gryphon newspaper that addressed the causes of the current industrial action. Dr Laura Loyola-Hernández offered a response covering the chief aspect of the aspect: the four fights. Dr Mark Taylor-Batty offered one on the issue of USS. We reproduce them both here. Four fights: A letter to my students On Monday we were meant to learn about feminist decolonial research but instead I will be striking. I would love nothing more than to be teaching you. I did not come to this decision lightly. I haven’t come across anyone striking that is not worried about their students, specially those that are in vulnerable positions. But as we have heard across picket lines nationwide: our working conditions are your learning conditions. I write this as a response to the editorial letter in the latest edition of The Gryphon. I find in the arguments a reflection of wider debates happening on the picket line. Many of the conversations have concentrated around pensions. Yes, we are trying to fight to save our pension scheme but this is only one of two disputes. The second is about FOUR connected … continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged uss
USS pension justice. We demand it. Image of two raised fists, blue and white, pink background.
Four Fights One Voice. Pay inequality, job insecurity, rising workloads, pay deflation
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