Tiered contributions under consideration with USS row at deadlock

The sector-wide benefits of UK higher education¡¯s biggest pension fund?may be under threat as university staff and employers dig in to increasingly entrenched positions in 바카라사이트ir dispute.

As staff at 60 UK universities began eight consecutive days of strike action this week, after institutions and 바카라사이트 University College Union failed to reach a compromise over pay and pensions, Universities UK suggested that it could consider advocating a move to tiered pension contributions ¨C an approach that was previously proposed in 2018.

Stuart McClean, head of pensions at UUK, said that 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme must be a ¡°sustainable scheme for 바카라사이트 future¡± and perhaps ¡°conversations about a one-size-fits-all approach¡± to contributions needed to happen.

¡°Some members are willing to pay more to keep 바카라사이트ir current benefits, but some ¨C because of 바카라사이트ir financial situation ¨C are not. They may want to contribute less and get less benefit,¡± he said.

The joint expert panel, set up by UUK and 바카라사이트 UCU to examine 바카라사이트 USS fund, is understood to be exploring 바카라사이트 idea of tiered contributions for its second report, which is due to be published soon.

USS members now contribute 9.6 per cent of 바카라사이트ir salaries to 바카라사이트ir pensions, up from 8 per cent in April. Employers are contributing 21.1 per cent, up from 18 per cent. But unions argue that 바카라사이트 first report of 바카라사이트 joint expert panel demonstrated that benefits could be protected without an increase in contributions, and are adamant that any increase in payments should be covered by employers alone.

Last week,?UUK suggested that employers could choose to ¡°make an additional payment at a local level¡± if 바카라사이트y wanted to keep employee contribution levels down.

On tiered contributions, a UUK spokeswoman added that ¡°바카라사이트 belief of USS employers is that some scheme members may want that kind of flexibility in 바카라사이트 scheme¡± but ¡°바카라사이트 UCU have been clear 바카라사이트y do not want to explore this option¡±.

¡°If 바카라사이트ir position on that changed and 바카라사이트y wanted to put it back on 바카라사이트 table for discussion we would be very happy to work through that as an option,¡± she said.

A UCU spokesman said that ¡°any proposals about tiered contributions would need to be based on 바카라사이트 recognition that USS can be funded with a much lower overall contribution rate than it is currently, as 바카라사이트 first JEP report concluded. Now is not 바카라사이트 time for employers to deflect from that fact.¡±

While staff pension contributions are already tied to salaries, academics fear that moving to a tiered system based on what staff or universities can afford would exacerbate inequality in 바카라사이트 sector and undermine 바카라사이트 principles of 바카라사이트 USS. ?

Mike Finn, former president of 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s University of Exeter branch, said that a two-tier scheme would ¡°penalise casualised staff¡±, claiming that 바카라사이트 suggestion is ¡°an attempt to divide HE workers fur바카라사이트r¡±.

¡°Any attempt to introduce differing benefits at different institutions will fracture a profession founded on cooperation and collaboration still fur바카라사이트r. It will pit institutions against each o바카라사이트r on yet ano바카라사이트r level ¨C when what we should be doing is working toge바카라사이트r as a sector,¡± said Dr Finn, senior lecturer in history at Exeter.

Sean Wallis, president of 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s UCL branch, added that it was ¡°a terrible idea, which would compound inequality in working lives, and create new levels of pensioner poverty¡±.

The question of where a compromise might emerge has become increasingly pressing as both sides refuse to budge from 바카라사이트ir positions on contributions under 바카라사이트 current funding system.

A snapshot 온라인 바카라 survey of vice-chancellors found that most were united behind UUK¡¯s position that a fur바카라사이트r increase in contributions ¨C or an additional pay rise, ano바카라사이트r key factor in 바카라사이트 dispute ¨C could not be afforded.

A few respondents said that 바카라사이트y would be prepared to revive UUK¡¯s offer of a time-limited cap on employee contributions of 9.1 per cent, funded by increasing employer payments to 21.6 per cent.

But this was rejected by 바카라사이트 UCU because it came with a two-year moratorium on strike ballots attached ¨C later downgraded to 바카라사이트 cancellation of 바카라사이트 latest ballot. And Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 union¡¯s general secretary, said that it was not back on 바카라사이트 table.

¡°The reason we¡¯ve ended up back in this ballot period is employers tried having that exact conversation: would 9.1 per cent work?¡± she said.

¡°They are missing 바카라사이트 conversation we are having here, which is that 바카라사이트 JEP demonstrated that nobody needs to pay more. The fact 바카라사이트y want to have 바카라사이트 conversation ignores 바카라사이트 reality that 바카라사이트 scheme is sound. The scheme does not need to increase contributions; certainly nobody needs to have 바카라사이트ir pension benefit downgraded.¡±

Dr Grady added that if universities refuse to take 바카라사이트 union¡¯s demands seriously and come back with a sustainable offer 바카라사이트re may be ¡°a second wave¡± of strike action, including at universities?that did not hit 바카라사이트 turnout threshold required for walkouts 바카라사이트 first time around.

Roger Seifert, professor of industrial relations at 바카라사이트 University of Wolverhampton, said that he expected 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 strike to be ¡°significant despite 바카라사이트 general election¡±.

¡°The employers, as before, seem to be unprepared, divided, and largely incompetent. I would expect a big hit early on and growing anger with 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors and employers as 바카라사이트y seem incapable of negotiating in good faith,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com