UCU vote in favour of further industrial action

Following the previously announced UCU national ballot regarding pension reform, the UCU has announced that the national ballot met the turnout threshold and the vote was 84.88%  in favour of strike action and 90.14% for Action Short Of Strike (ASOS).

We understand that the UCU will decide on 3 November what form action will take, when and for how long. The University must receive at least 14 days’ notice of any action, and I will update you when we receive this.

I regret that the UCU has decided to ballot its members with the explicit threat to take industrial action that will only damage our students’ education. As I have made very clear before, I do not believe industrial action provides a solution to the ongoing issue of pension reform following the valuation in 2020; indeed, it is no longer possible to change the outcome of this valuation.

A much better solution would be to work constructively together and prepare for the 2023 valuation, which is now only a few months away. The monthly monitoring reports from the USS indicate that the fund may be in a better financial position, partly because of the changed benefits and partly because of higher interest rates we are now all experiencing. The Universities UK and UCU members of the Joint Negotiations Committee should get together now and prepare for a range of possible outcomes of the 2023 valuation. In my view, this should be on the basis that, if possible, we prioritise improvements of the benefits of the USS members over a reduction in contributions. It is only in this spirit of cooperation and negotiation that I believe the USS dispute can find any kind of meaningful resolution.

The UCU also today announced the result of a ballot on pay and conditions. This result does not apply to us here in Reading, where the dispute relates only to USS. 

When we have the confirmed dates of any action, we will contact all students by email to notify them and to provide reassurance about the steps we will be taking to minimise the impact on their studies.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Interim Director of HR, Claire Rolstone, or the HR Partner for your area.