Special HE Sector Conference - September 2021: USS & pay disputes - USS motions

1  Timing of industrial action on USS - Bangor University

SHESC notes:

1. that the recommendations of the Superannuation Working Group (SWG) were adopted at HESC on 2/6/2020
2. the SWG recommendation that we negotiate, campaign and lobby for the protection of USS member benefits at current levels and pressure employers to reject cuts to future benefits
3. the SWG recommendation that we use all the campaigning and industrial tools at our disposal up to and including a ballot for industrial action.

SHESC believes that a strong result in an industrial action ballot is more likely to be achieved if the ballot comes at the culmination of an effective member-led campaign, which takes time to organise.

SHESC therefore resolves that a ballot on industrial action is called when HEC judges that the USS negotiators have had sufficient time to explore all options with the employers' representatives and the USS Trustee and branches have had sufficient time to organise for victory.

LOST

2  Composite: Enact HESC motions HE12 - launch the USS ballot now - Imperial College London, University College London

HESC notes that:

1. the June 2021 HESC motion HE12 was passed with amendment 12A.1 committing the union to organise a member-level campaign and ballot members for industrial action over the summer from June to September, should the employers not join UCU in pressuring USS and the pensions regulator to cancel the 2020 valuation in favour of a new 2021 valuation using an 'evidence-based moderately prudent approach'
2. the employers did not do so. But HEC failed to enact motion HE12.

HESC resolves to

1. ensure HEC does not repeat this mistake
2. immediately begin the balloting of members for industrial action to defend the USS DB scheme on its current basis, on a schedule sufficient to enable members to take action in the Autumn term
3. implement the public campaign among members outlined in the aforementioned resolution.

CARRIED as amended

2A.1 Compositing amendment - UCL

Replace 'to defend the USS DB scheme on the basis of its HESC mandate' with 'to defend the USS DB scheme on its current basis'.

CARRIED

3  Defend USS defined benefits - Lancaster University

SHESC notes the threat to USS defined benefits of massive contribution increases or benefits being slashed as a result of the Covid 2020 valuation.

SHESC believes that it is very likely that the current UUK proposal to cut our benefits, supported by USS, will be passed at the next USS JNC so that employers can save on their contribution.

SHESC instructs HEC to:

1. declare a dispute with UUK over the employers' failure to push for a 2021 valuation
2. organise a ballot over USS. The ballot should be disaggregated, and should run from last week in September 2021 to last week in October 2021, for industrial action in November/December 2021
3. ensure that industrial action is escalating
4. produce USS campaign and communication materials immediately for branches
5. start preparing for a massive GTVO.

CARRIED

3A.1 University of Kent

Point numbered 2, after 'The ballot should be disaggregated, and should run,' delete remainder of clause and replace with 'for at least 7 weeks, giving branches sufficient time to run an effective GTVO campaign.'

Add:

HEC commits to fully support branches facing job cuts, enabling co-ordinated ballots and industrial action over local issues with national disputes.

LOST

4  Take action, defend USS defined benefits - University of Glasgow

HESC notes the threat to USS of massive contribution increases or benefits being slashed as a result of the Covid 2020 valuation.

HESC believes:

1. USS is able to afford current benefits at current or lower costs so there is no need for these changes
2. if not stopped, this could easily become the first step in introducing full DC
3. industrial action is necessary to defend the Defined Benefits (DB) scheme.

HESC instructs HEC to:

1. call for a ballot and strike action and ASOS, with strike action to start in week of 11 November. An indicative timetable is HEC on 17 September, ballot from 24 September to 25 October. The subject of dispute should be the employers' failure to take measures to defend DB
2. organise massive GTVO campaign and produce materials to support this
3. encourage members and branches to build support amongst students, other trade unions and the local community.

CARRIED

5  Defending Defined Benefit - University of Dundee

Conference notes the jump in USS asset values to about £85 billion.

Conference believes that:

1. all the evidence shows that current benefits can be paid from 26% contributions or less.
2. affordability for lower paid members should be obtained by maintaining current benefits at lower costs.

Conference instructs negotiators to:

1. defend current benefits for member payments no greater than 9.6% and payments for lower paid members of 0% and 4%. 
2. put forward demands for reform of scheme governance to increase UCU representation on the board of the USS Ltd, to increase transparency and improve oversight of the USS executive, and to withdraw the DB scheme from Master Trust regulation.

REMITTED

B4  Conditional Indexation of USS - Bangor University

SHESC notes:

1. principle 5 of the 2021 SWG report which calls for the exploration of Conditional Benefits on terms acceptable to UCU members.
2. the joint statement from Cambridge and Oxford universities and their UCU branches on Conditional Indexation.

SHESC believes that:

1. a contribution rate of 25-30% of salary should be sufficient to secure a good pension for staff who are members of USS, but that the USS trustee's  current approach to risk makes it difficult to obtain good value for money
2. conditional benefits might make it possible for USS to continue as a collective, mutual, multi-employer scheme with an ability to invest for the long term in growth-seeking assets.

SHESC therefore resolves that UCU should initiate exploration of the feasibility and promise of Conditional Benefits (or Conditional Indexation).

CARRIED

6  Defend USS defined benefits by lobbying MPs - Lancaster University

SHESC notes the threat to USS defined benefits of massive contribution increases or benefits being slashed as a result of the Covid 2020 valuation.

SHESC believes that it is very likely that the current UUK proposal to cut our benefits, supported by USS, will be passed at the next USS JNC so that employers can save on their contribution.

SHESC instructs HEC to produce a letter for USS members to send to their MPs requesting their support in resolving the USS dispute by: derecognising UUK as representing the university sector, raising the issue with the Work and Pensions Committee and raising shortcomings in the Pensions Act 2004 that need addressing.

REMITTED