Check out [this article] in the Times Higher from today which covers the proposals tabled to employers today after consultation with some of these “dove” VCs, and for a sense of how different the industrial climate could be if more VCs were willing to engage with concerns raised by trade unions on behalf of members (their staff). You can also read [this piece] in the Times Higher by Stuart Croft (VC of Warwick University) arguing, among other things, that our pension should be government backed (as is the TPS scheme which operates largely in the post-92 universities).

We have finally seen journalists in the mainstream media pick up on our analysis and critique of the shoddy basis for the threatened changes to USS. For example, read [this] if you haven’t already. Also read [this] for further context and a technical analysis of the dispute. The role of the Pensions Regulator has been noted in much of this coverage; analysis from the UCU side has frequently noted that a way to safeguard against future disputes like this would be better tackled jointly by UCU and UUK making an approach to the Pensions Regulator, were we to persuade UUK to work together with us on this.