Author's posts
Aug 12
UUK Consultation on USS Governance Change
UUK have consulted Universities about a proposed review of USS’ governance structures, although its proposed terms are highly UUK-centric. We discussed these at a USS sub-JSNCC earlier in the week, where management asked Unions (although I was the only Union member there) to feed back. Documents can be found here: USS-subJSNCC 2022_8 Minutes 5 April 22 …
Apr 26
USS Comparative Decrease Graph
Jackie Grant, a UCU pension rep. at Sussex, prepared the following graph, which comparatively outlines how pensions are likely to depreciate given the recent cuts pushed through at JNC. The graph highlights just how poor our pensions now prepare us for living in our old age, and how urgent changes to USS governance and valuation …
Mar 31
USS: 0% contribution increases needed to service deficit!
I have just sent the following letter to Martin Atkinson and Jane Higham in the hope that we can push back against the continuing farce that is the #USSmess. Chris
Mar 21
USS + Legal Challenge Update
Dear colleagues, I am writing with an update on the USS pension situation. This will be fairly long so, if you don’t want to read it now, please bear in mind that we periodically update the branch blog with these updates, as well as various bits of news that do not go out through UCU-announce. …
Mar 04
USS Pension Update
Local Context Whilst we were on strike this month, the University of Kent rejected UCU’s proposal to stave off cuts to our pension pay-outs. This is the text of their rejection: Proposed Consultation Response – UCU proposal feb22.pdf Management’s response is clear: their financial mismanagement has led to the position whereby we must take a …
Mar 04
Kent Finances Counter-Narrative: Brains not Buildings
Current Financial Context The University’s financial performance in 2020-21 was ‘ahead of expectations’ with an overall surplus of over £4 million. The University is ahead of its ‘cost-savings’ targets, and the total staff cost savings required by the banks have now been found. Staff cost savings were delivered one year ahead of schedule. The University …
Mar 03
Marking and Assessment Boycott FAQs
The branch committee have prepared an FAQ as a guide to the marking and assessment boycott we are currently operating. The FAQ can be found here. The marking and assessment boycott for our local dispute over threats to jobs and excessive workloads begins today, on 3rd March 2022, immediately following the national strikes. It will …
Mar 02
Claiming from the strike fund
Dear University of Kent UCU members, Our branch strike fund has received 34 applications so far. If you need to claim, please do so ASAP, as the sooner you claim, the sooner we can pay out (and all claims must be received within 3 months of the loss of income). We have now paid 33 …
Feb 28
Casework – what is it, and what can it do?
Probation Most new staff are on probation, which means even open-ended contract can be precarious, until probation is deemed successfully passed. Some examples of casework in this area: Member told has failed probation and will lose job. Casework done, probation plan extended and then successfully completed. Member told probation will be extended. Casework done, appeal …
Feb 09
Total Pension Loss Estimates
The USS issue is horribly complex, so UCU pension reps. have been trying to come up with illustrations to make it clearer. This graph shows that reduction in total pension is between 100k and 200k for people born around 1990. Further graphs, calculations and data can be found here.