UCU holding meetings to reform UofG pension scheme

The UCU, UUK and the USS pensions scheme are having meetings in the next month to reform the pension scheme.

The UCU have announced they are holding five meetings to reform the University of Glasgow pension scheme.

Last semester’s strikes over staff working conditions and pensions ended with no resolution. These five meetings will evaluate how the pension scheme is run and how it can be changed to benefit everyone involved.

Whether or not there are more strikes in spring will depend on how well these meetings go. 

All parties involved in the university staff pension dispute will be meeting throughout January in an attempt to reform the pensions. This will involve the university staff’s union (UCU), representatives for the USS (the private pension scheme for university staff), and Universities UK, (who represent the universities). 

Representatives from the USS Trustee Board will also attend these meetings. University of Glasgow principal, professor Anton Muscatelli, is also a member, but there has been no confirmation as to whether he will be in attendance. 

The last meeting will be on Wednesday 29 January and information about the next steps will be released early February. 

The UCU said that these meetings could prevent future industrial action and are optimistic about these discussions. 

Jo Grady, the UCU general secretary, said: “We are keen to get going with these talks and to work with all parties to look seriously at how we can reform USS. If we are to avoid further disruption at universities over USS then we all need to work together and look at issues like the valuation and the scheme’s governance.”