Use your vote, speak to your colleagues and email this flyer that provides more information.
You will have seen recent briefings about the USS ballot that starts today and closes on 20th October. Your paper ballot form will arrive during the next few days. The proposals will mean lower benefits, less guaranteed income in retirement, and a worse pension than colleagues in the Teachers Pension Scheme. Remember this is just the start and if they win this then future erosion is very likely.
Its important that we get a good turn out and a strong vote in favour of action on both ASOS and taking strike action.
We have a good case:
The huge ‘deficit’ is artificial – USS is healthy and growing. The USS projections involved are contested by UCU and we believe the employers’ proposals are a deliberate overreaction. Since 2011, the fund’s investments have grown by £8bn. Returns on investment have outperformed both average earnings and inflation.
The employers can afford it – Pre-92 institutions are doing well. There is simply no case for the pensions they offer to be inferior to those offered by new universities.
This youtube video produced by Leeds UCU explains the threats and what we can do to stop them.
Many faculties now have internal researcher society committees which we are keen to keep in contact with by having an SUCU member sit on each. Are you a member of one of these committees, or would you like to become one? They are usually very pleased to add new members. If so please email ucu@sheffield.ac.uk — it only takes an hour of every month or so would be extremely helpful to SUCU’s work with researchers.
We look forward to welcoming and hearing from our guest speakers Lambeth College strikers and Students Union Officers. Its a great opportunity for us to offer our support to colleagues. A collection towards the Lambeth College strike fund will also be taken.
This should be a lively meeting so please do come along. In addition to our guest speakers business will include the election of next year’s Branch Committee and Branch Officers.
A sandwich lunch will be served at 12.45 and an Annual Report will be available on the day. Venue: Council Chamber, Octagon.
Members of UCU will begin indefinite strike action at Lambeth College on Tuesday 3 June. Members will walk out next week and have vowed not to return to work until their increasingly bitter dispute over proposed changes to terms and conditions is resolved.
Representatives of Lambeth UCU striking workers will be touring Yorkshire Branches next week and will be talking to us at our AGM next Thursday 12th June 1-2pm (Council Chamber, Octagon Centre).
Message from Mandy Brown, Lambeth College UCU Branch Secretary:
Dear colleagues
On behalf of our branch, thank you to everyone who was at Congress, and beyond, for the support and solidarity you have shown to our members, and the very generous donations we’ve received.
Lambeth Strike now has a website up and running here:
We are very pleased the University has won the THE Number 1 for Student Experience award. It’s significant that Sheffield has won it as this is a University with a campaigning activist students union which has strongly supported the industrial action which staff have undertaken this year, while the survey was being done. The support from students during our dispute was great and very welcome. We are proud to have been working in solidarity with the Students Union, rejecting the view of students as ‘customers’ and welcoming them instead as part of our learning community and future colleagues.