429

of 1,000 signatures

To University of Stirling Senior Management Team

Petition text

As members of the University’s staff (both members and non-members of the UCU), students and alumni, we are writing to you about the recent sweeping changes to pension arrangements endorsed by Universities UK.

We find it hard to think of an employment-related issue that has generated more anger and distress during our academic careers. The effect of the changes will be least on those in the most senior positions towards the end of their careers, while they will be devastating for younger and more junior colleagues, and those on lower incomes and part-time contracts (a group including a disproportionately high number of female colleagues). This has happened after staff have worked above-and-beyond during the pandemic with excessive workloads.

Many staff members are considering their positions at Stirling. As you know, many colleagues have undergone years of tertiary education and training, with no chance to make pension or NI contributions, followed by many more years of fixed-term contracts and job insecurity, before becoming established as academics and researchers. In the wake of these pension changes, many younger colleagues (and professional support staff) will likely move to post-92 institutions where the TPS pension scheme will provide much greater financial security for them and their families. As such, these changes pose a risk to Stirling as an institution. More broadly, these changes will close off UK academia as a career choice for excellent students from less wealthy backgrounds.

In addition to losing on average 35 per cent of our defined retirement income, these changes were passed by casting vote. The independence of that casting vote is not clear and the Chair has since refused to speak to the press. This is in addition to the persistent concern that the changes have been made following a valuation of the USS scheme undertaken in March 2020 at the height of market anxiety over covid-19. A valuation was not legally required at that time and since then the assets of the scheme have recovered, as all parties have recognised. The role of the trustees in voting for the changes on this basis is currently subject to court action. This lack of transparency, and the seemingly disingenuous information previously provided by UUK as to the effects on members only adds to a sense among many staff members that UUK care little for their interests. At the same time, the pay offer of 1.5 per cent in a context of high inflation equates to a pay cut, as do significant pay gaps for women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. Workloads remain untenable and have had significant effects on staff health. It is not surprising therefore that morale is low and that the goodwill on which universities run – particularly over the last couple of years- is in very short supply.

In such a context of staff demoralisation, and while the university’s finances are in surplus, we are dismayed that senior management remains silent. Furthermore, there seems to be no concern to mitigate the effects of the pension changes on staff by proposing less devastating cuts. We are fully aware that this is a national dispute, but encourage you to do what you can, particularly given Professor Sir Gerry McCormac’s role as head of Universities Scotland. We urge you to issue a public statement in support of a return to negotiations over USS, to do so before the changes are finalised in April 2022, and to negotiate with UCU over the current pay claim, workload, casualisation and pay gaps.

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Signers list

Graham Macsporran
Claire Squires
Kathryn Angus
Karenmills Mills
Hannah Buchanan-Smith
Alice Doyle
Brigitte Depret
Alaric Chirino
Dario Sinforiani
Ashley Cameron
Anderson Collis Elliot Greenidge-Butcher
Joe Schofield
Martine Stead
Lewis Forsyth
Alice Maclean
Joshua Thorpe
Iliana Leivadioti
Agnieszka Janus-Skora
Viola
Agnese Verrone
Jennie Morgan
Maureen K Michael
Dr Katherine Champion
Dr Diana Miranda
Dr Lorele Mackie
Fay Mann
Sophia Zonca
Heather Marr
Edward Finlow
Rukhsana Akhtar
Jillian M. Duquaine-Watson
Johanna Louise Baily
Fay Niker
Stephen Winter
Maike Dinger
Jens-Arne Subke
Jm Ferreira
Pardeep Singh
Sonia Wilson
Brodie
Vivien Swanson
Laurie Kelly
Alba Mcvicar Reyes
Cian Ireland
Justine Cal
Barbara Farquharson
Nicholas Cox
Hanneke Booij
Nina Parish
Shirley Millar

Letter to Senior Management Team regarding ongoing pensions and pay disputes

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Letter to Senior Management Team regarding ongoing pensions and pay disputes

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