Industrial action over pensions April 2011
Posted date: 5 April 2011
Lecturers have taken industrial action over plans to alter the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension fund.
Changes to the provision include raising the retirement age from 60 to 65 and preventing new members from joining the final salary scheme. Lecturers are also angry at changes to pay and the growing insecurity surrounding their jobs.
The University and College Union (UCU) is in a dispute with the USS due to proposals to increase costs and reduce pension benefits. It claims that this is despite the scheme being in good health.
“The attacks on staff’s pensions, pay and job security have created real anger throughout the sector. Instead of burying their heads in the sand the employers need to respond urgently to UCU’s attempts to negotiate,” commented Sally Hunt, UCU General Secretary.
The Employers Pensions Forum has spoken of its disappointment at the decision to take strike action and claims that negotiations to change the scheme have been ongoing for the past three years. It believes that the retention of the final salary scheme for existing members is a good benefit and that changes for new members fall in line with what is expected across the public sector.
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- April 2011
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