Short report on pensions briefing meeting 11:00-14:00 extended to 14:20 on the 28/3/18 at UCU HQ Carlton Street.

The meeting started with Sally Hunt (General Secretary) presenting new information in the for of a letter from UUK and a quote from a confidential letter sent from the Pensions Regulator (tPR).  She set out what she thought this new information did to the ‘place’ we now found ourselves.  Paul Bridge (UCU Head of Higher Education; negotiator) then spoke further to this. He also talked about how the ‘valuation panel’ might work.

Floor opened to a lively questions session including:

Q Why was this new information only put to us now.
A this UUK letter only arrived this morning (28/3/18) and tPR and USS letter was confidential (note latter information has been now been circulated to all by Sally, and we had no indication as to when Sally first became aware of the information).

Q how can we represent our members now that this new information is available?
A taken as rhetorical

After this Matt Waddop reported on the further action.  There were letters announcing the next round of strike action going out to employers during the day.  Action was to proceed.

Delegates were then allowed to report back…  during this it became apparent that a lot was to be said and delicates time was gradually curtailed and the meeting lengthened.

My take on UCU branch activity was that feedback had been sort in very widely varying ways and a widely differing points in time.  There was also a trend that polling via electronic means produced one results where as meetings with debate produced a differing result.  It was evident that there was much uncertainty.  Not all delegates spoke.

There was no vote despite voting cards having been issued.

Whilst I did not tally responses it was my understanding that opinions ‘go to ballot’ and ‘revise and resubmit’ were close, however it is my opinion (and I’m not alone) that revise and resubmit option had the majority.

Dr Nigel Bubb