In my messages to our staff and students last Wednesday I said I would be attending the Universities UK (UUK) members’ meeting in London at the end of the week. At the main session, attended by a large number of Vice-Chancellors, I spoke about the very clear moral duty of universities to support the USS pension scheme to achieve the best possible outcome for our staff, which would be affordable and sustainable. I also raised a compelling proposal from some Southampton UCU members to provide a long-term commitment to guaranteed 18% employer contributions, so that in the event that the deficit starts to reduce, this could in the long-term allow the option of contributions into the defined benefit scheme element and/or larger contributions into the defined contributions element of the scheme. The large number of universities represented at the UUK meeting welcomed the proposal and it will receive further consideration with a view to raising it with UCU nationally.
Informal meetings at senior level between UUK and UCU have been taking place since January, and I again stressed at last Friday’s meeting the urgency of further meaningful negotiations which will require realism and pragmatism on all sides if progress is to be made. I was encouraged that UCU has accepted UUK’s offer to meet on Tuesday and I hope both sides can have a productive discussion (I am not a member of the negotiating body). I will keep you updated when I hear any news.
Once again, I would like to apologise to those students who were impacted by the industrial action last Thursday and Friday, and who may be again this week. I would also like to thank all members of staff, whether taking action or not, for the collegial spirit shown across our campuses at this difficult time.
Professor Sir Christopher Snowden
