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Staff at the University of Southampton are celebrating after strong campaigning by UNISON and fellow campus unions saw university management withdraw its threat to replace their pensions with an inferior alternative.
The university had planned to close its current final salary scheme for non-academic staff from 1 August and replace it with a ‘defined contribution’ scheme, where a person’s pension would depend on what their total contributions could buy at the time they retired.
But collective action by the members affected, backed up by their union, means that current staff will keep their final salary pensions, though the scheme will not be open to new staff after next January.
“We welcome the change as a massive step in the right direction,” says UNISON rep Adrian Dolby, “but we will keep campaigning for improved pensions for all.
“Everybody deserves a decent pension.”
UNISON head of pensions Glyn Jenkins added that the “significant victory… shows that when we engage enough staff, change is possible”.
The union had argued that the scheme was in financial difficulty, and organised a petition against the proposals during the statutory consultation period on the changes.
And a campus rally attracted hundreds of staff and students and the campaign was supported by Labour councillors, local Labour MP Alan Whitehead and academic union UCU.
At the end of the consultation, the university backtracked on ending existing members’ pensions.
UNISON says the decision is “an incredible shift” – although closing the scheme to new members from January is “not ideal” – which was only made possible by strong trade union campaigning led by the members.
The article Southampton university staff celebrate pensions win first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to meet Michael Braithwaite – a public servant, a Windrush child and a UNISON member.
Michael has been through more in recent years than most of us can imagine, with his life torn apart by the vicious “hostile environment” regime introduced by Theresa May as home secretary.
Having lived in the UK for 56 years since arriving from Barbados aged nine, Michael – rightly – thought his immigration status was beyond question. He was, and is, a pillar of his community, the kind of neighbour we’d all wish to have and exactly the kind of person who we’re so fortunate to have educating our children.
Michael works as a teaching assistant. He specialises in working with those with special educational needs, but he works with all children.
You can see why he was drawn to this work 15 years ago, and why he’s so popular with those he’s worked alongside and taught. For Michael, his work was his passion – his second home – and he took great joy in the achievements of the children who he supported.
And yet as a result of a single DBS check at work – something he’d done many times before – he found himself out of work caught up in a ridiculous and illogical government policy which destroyed his life.
Understandably, the impact was devastating.
To be pulled entirely out of your own life – out of work and fearing that losing your family, your home and your friends could be the next step – is something few of us can truly comprehend.
This was a person so clearly full of compassion treated with so little compassion by an uncaring government determined to make life difficult for those who have chosen to make their lives here – regardless of circumstance, duration, family and community ties or even legal status.
Fortunately for Michael, it was UNISON who stood by him when he lost his job, and ensured that he received the legal representation he needed to fight his case. He was ably supported by his branch and his steward Hugo.
His legal status in the UK is clear and he has been offered the chance to return to his old job.
All of this should be a source of immense pride to everyone in UNISON, as it is to me.
And yet this is not a story with a happy-ending. What Michael was put through was too serious, too damaging and too prolonged for that. Meanwhile, too many others faced similar pressures and threats – again, thanks to policies conceived of and implemented by Theresa May.
But if this government want a hostile environment – then our union will give it one.
A hostile environment to those who turn on those who have made their lives here. A hostile environment for attacks on public services. And a hostile environment for this Conservative government.
The article Blog: A person so clearly full of compassion treated with so little compassion first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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The University and College Union (UCU) and UNISON have today (Tuesday) welcomed a U-turn from the Association of Colleges (AoC) over pay talks for staff in further education. At the start of the month the AoC said that it would not discuss a pay claim for 2018/19 while UCU members were still in dispute at some colleges.
That threat prompted unions who represent staff in colleges to write to the AoC saying that a refusal to discuss the pay claim was an “unnecessary provocation” and warned the AoC that it risked undermining its “credibility and relevance to the sector” if it would not talk with the unions.
The AoC has now said it will receive the 2018/19 pay claim from the unions.
UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “It’s in the best interest of the further education sector as a whole that the pay negotiations continue.
“Hardworking support staff haven’t had a decent pay rise for years. The government and employers need to tackle the crippling cuts and low pay that’s sapping the morale of workers. Further education must be funded properly, for the benefit of students everywhere.”
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “We are pleased the AoC has reversed its decision and will now accept the unions’ pay claim. We always think the best place to resolve any issue is at the negotiating table. It is time for them to come to the table with a decent pay offer for staff who have seen their pay held down for too long.”
Media contacts:
UCU: Dan Ashley T: 020 7756 2600 M: 07789 518 992 E: dashley@ucu.org.uk
UNISON: Clare Santry T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07944 191479 E: c.santry@unison.co.uk
The article Unions welcome Association of Colleges’ U-turn on pay talks first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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Higher education members will be asked to reject the national pay offer from the University and Colleges Employers’ Association in a branch consultation due to begin in the next few weeks.
The employers’ final pay offer was to increase annual salaries by 2% or £425 (full time), whichever is higher. The joint unions’ pay claim was for an increase of £7.5% or £1,500, which is higher, and a minimum wage of £10 an hour.
UNISON’s higher education service group executive met last week and “was clear that the offer falls well short of its aims,” the union’s head of education Jon Richards said today.
“Recent years have seen a series of below inflation pay rises that are making it increasingly difficult for higher education support staff to make ends meet. We ask the employers to think again.
“UNISON has notified our sister unions of the decision and will seek to co-ordinate with them on the campaign.”
Last Thursday’s meeting of the executive held detailed discussion on the offer before agreeing to recommend that members reject it, pointing out that it did not meet the pay claim agreed by all unions.
This is in line with a decision taken at UNISON’s 2018 higher education conference.
UNISON’s higher education pay campaign group will meet shortly and the service group will then begin a branch consultation of members in the next few weeks.
Earlier story: Higher ed employers make final offer (11 May 2018)
Previous story: University pay talks begin (27 March 2018)
Conference report: UNISON sets out higher education pay targets (11 January 2018)
Download: 2018 Joint higher education pay claim (submitted 21 March 2018)
The article UNISON recommends that HE members reject employers’ pay offer first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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