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Stop spinning and let's talk today to solve dispute UCU tells Universities UK

23 February 2018

As university heads gather in London for a meeting to discuss what to do about widespread university strikes over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), UCU said universities need to stop spinning and agree to proper talks

Universities UK sent another confusing message out this morning giving no indication it had listened to members' anger at its proposals to slash pensions or if it was prepared to negotiate a way out of the mess.

During a busy first day of strikes numerous vice-chancellors publicly broke ranks with UUK and called for talks and the universities minister Sam Gyimah proposed "talks without preconditions".

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: 'Universities UK need to stop sending out mixed messages on whether it wants to talk or not. We hope the sensible voices at this morning's strike summit will give their negotiators a clear mandate to go back to the table and get this mess sorted out.

'If they want to talk to us without preconditions, as the universities minister has suggested, then let's do it today. The sector is suffering from a serious image problem at the moment and staff and students deserve much better from their leaders than spin and subterfuge.'

 

Last updated: 23 February 2018

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