Tag Archives: UCU

Little cause for celebration from USS valuation

Posted on July 20, 2023 by henry tapper

USS – no time for complacency The headlines are good. USS is wearing a surplus of over £7bn rather than a deficit of £14bn, it is proposing a contribution schedule that makes pensions affordable to employers and (if the 65/35 … Continue reading →

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Benefits will be restored at USS but will common sense?

Posted on April 18, 2023 by henry tapper

UCU members in their tens of thousands have voted overwhelmingly to move forward with pension proposals agreed with employers which will pave the way for the restoration of benefits. When we launched our pensions dispute, university vice chancellors doubted us, … Continue reading →

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USS disclosure- in need of a “deus ex machina”.

Posted on June 20, 2022 by henry tapper

  Reading the latest acrimonious exchanges between the University Employers and the staff union UCU is a depressing business. UUK, who say they are taking their lead from the  USS pension scheme stand accused of underestimating the scale of the … Continue reading →

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Woon Wong’s letter to TPR on USS’ deficit

Posted on December 14, 2021 by henry tapper

At a recent pension conference, Woon Wong mentioned a letter sent to David Fairs which would be posted on my blog. This is the letter and I am proud to openly publish it. At the conference were a number of … Continue reading →

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UCU and UUK should ask more of their pension and its regulator.

Posted on September 3, 2021 by henry tapper

I’ve received some feedback on my comments about the current situation in UK universities. But not quite the level of feedback that Jo Cumbo is getting! The way USS has handled this is just ridiculous. University staff don’t take kindly … Continue reading →

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USS heading for the buffers – strikes seem inevitable – why?

Posted on September 1, 2021 by henry tapper

News that University employers have agreed a deal with the University Superannuation Scheme that will leave members with substantial cuts in benefits , has not gone down well. Another wave of strikes beckons , deepening the plight of students who … Continue reading →

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Sam Marsh’s response to TPR’s DB Funding Code

Posted on September 4, 2020 by henry tapper

Sam Marsh is a lecturer and branch president of the Sheffield UCU. He has responded on his own behalf to TPR’s consultation. Continue reading →

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UCU and UUK “please pack it in!”

Posted on February 17, 2020 by henry tapper

My view is simple, the Joint Expert Panel was set up to prevent further disruption, please don’t disrupt further. Continue reading →

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Let’s get USS done!

Posted on December 14, 2019 by henry tapper

What does the Trustee do? Ask a 7 year old what a Trustee does and a 7 year old would say “do trust”.  This is the verdict of chapter 7 of the second Joint Expert Panel on the Trustee of … Continue reading →

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Trade Unions; a necessary agent of change in our pension system

Posted on May 20, 2018 by henry tapper

  Turn to your weekend FT , you happy capitalists, and you will find two stories relating to monopoly of the big four accountants. The first is a comment piece by John Plender where he looks at why Government has … Continue reading →

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