Tag Archives: UCU

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

Posted on May 20, 2018 by

  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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University pensions! – Stay collective! Stay open!

Posted on May 18, 2018 by

Another good day for pensions! Yesterday was a good day for the collective pension scheme in Britain. I had breakfast at Cicero’s offices in the Old Bailey (not the courts). I was able to hear our Pensions Regulator talk openly about … Continue reading →

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The herd mentality that leads us to DC

Posted on March 8, 2018 by

Luke 8:32-33 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into … Continue reading →

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Is the tide turning in the University pension dispute?

Posted on March 7, 2018 by

The  lecturers at Oxford University have received a significant email. I don’t have the email but I have Mike Otsuka’s tweets of it. This is how the dispute will be resolved. There is some powerful emotional intelligence at play here and I … Continue reading →

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Pensions and Pornstar Martinis

Posted on March 6, 2018 by

Question ; what have pensions and pornstar martinis got to do with each other Answer; after announcing they would have a day off from negotiating, the UUK pension team appear to have deferred to the bar for some of these … Continue reading →

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“Universities accept a small amount of increased risk” – Mike Otsuka’s USS update

Posted on March 3, 2018 by

What this UCU proposal involves and why it is justified In a meeting with Universities UK (UUK) employers on Tuesday 27 February, the University and College Union (UCU) proposed that “Universities accept a small amount of increased risk through a … Continue reading →

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UUK – you cannot dictate the terms on which you break your promises.

Posted on February 24, 2018 by

“Pension promises” are difficult. Lawyers tell me that the members of the University Superannuation Scheme (USS) do not have a contractual right to it. It could be argued that cutting off the oxygen of future accrual (as UUK are threatening … Continue reading →

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Could this letter have opened the lecture- room door to a pension settlement?

Posted on February 23, 2018 by

  This letter needs to be read carefully. CDC is carefully positioned as one of a number of options available to improve benefits to staff. It would be in practice an upgrade to the existing DC scheme in place and … Continue reading →

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The rotten boroughs of the Isis and the Fens – Mike Otsuka

Posted on February 23, 2018 by

On the implausibility of the Registrar’s denial of disproportionate Oxbridge influence In an article in the Guardian entitled ‘Universities strike blamed on vote by Oxbridge colleges’, Richard Adams reports that “the employers’ backing” of “policies resulting in the harsh cuts” … Continue reading →

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As Universities prepare for a strike, teachers try to limit the damage

Posted on February 21, 2018 by

This morning I’m publishing two blogs, one from Mike Otsuka which looks at tomorrow’s strike by University Staff from an economic perspective, mine looking at the human aspects of the strike. . Here are two emails from teachers in the … Continue reading →

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