HE action 2011

In 2011 UCU balloted members in higher education over attacks on jobs, pay and pensions

• Up to 40,000 jobs at risk
  
• USS and TPS pension schemes under attack
  
• A pay offer that is nothing but a real-terms pay cut

Pensions dispute

30 November pensions strike

UCU members in HE institutions in the UK took one day strike action on 30 November over changes to their USS, TPS, STSS and NITPS pension schemes. This action will take place alongside FE colleagues and many other unions whose members have also voted to take strike action over changes to public sector pensions.

UCU had previously taken strike action over the attack on TPS and changes to higher education USS pensions on 24 March, and again on 30 June:

•  30 Nov 11: pensions strike leaflet (.pdf) [31kb]
•  30 Nov 11: pensions strike poster (.pdf) [23kb]
• Defend your USS pension rights
• Under Attack - Teachers' Pension

Questions? Find our strike FAQs here.

Pensions under attack

• The university employers pushed through their proposals to downgrade the USS pension scheme in spite of their massive rejection by USS members in two online ballots and despite the fact that the scheme continues to grow and is in good health.

• The USS employers are now showing signs of returning to the table for further negotiation after imposong the changes..
• Members of TPS now also face attacks on their pensions, with the government proposing a longer working life, linking pensions to the lower CPI rather than RPI and raising employee contributions by almost 50%. This would bring them up to 9.5-9.8%, which for a lecturer at the top of their scale would mean an extra £88 per month taken from their pay packet. The switch to CPI could cost a lecturer with a £10,000 pension £36,000 or more over the average 25-year retirement.
• As recently as 2007, the unions agreed reforms to make the pension scheme sustainable in the long-term. TPS is not in crisis and there is no need for further change.

 Defend your pension: TPS branch briefing (.pdf) [41kb]
 Defend your pension: TPS branch briefing (.doc) [148kb]

1. in November 2011 members of the Scottish teachers' Pension Scheme (STSS) were also balloted:UCU members covered by Scottish pension scheme join action

Pay

For the latest on pay please go to:

HE ballots 2011

Eligible HE members received two ballot papers. One related to jobs and pay. The second related to pensions - staff working in the pre-92 sector received a ballot on USS; staff working in the post-92 sector on TPS.

In all three ballots members voted to take strike action:

1. all higher education members were balloted on taking action in relation to the employers' failure to engage with the union's claim for negotiations over an agreement on job security and an end to real terms pay cuts - UCU members in all HE institutions who were balloted to take action over the 2010 job security and pay claim were called to take ONE day of strike action on these claims, also on 24 March.
2. members in pre-92 universities were balloted over the employers' proposals to change the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) - UCU members across the UK in branches who have voted to take strike action were called to take TWO days' of strike action between 17 and 24 March to defend their USS pension.
   
   A second USS ballot was held after members of UCU attending UCU's annual congress voted to step up the campaign of industrial action in the increasingly bitter row over the USS changes: see this latest ballot result The escalation of action has led to work-to-contract action: Defend USS campaign site
3. members in post-92 universities were balloted over the proposed changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) - UCU members in post-92 institutions in England and Wales who were balloted were called to take ONE day of strike action on 24 March and a further day of strike action on 30 June 2011.
4. in November 2011 members of the Scottish teachers' Pension Scheme (STSS) were also balloted:UCU members covered by Scottish pension scheme join action