Developments have taken place this week in the national disputes over pensions and pay and conditions. 

UCEA, which represents 147 higher education institutions in national pay negotiations, and UCU have agreed to more talks next week (Tuesday 17 December) to explore new sector-level joint work on workload, gender / ethnicity pay gaps and casual employment.  

The University of Sussex supports the talks and has backed further consideration of these issues at a national level. The University and the Sussex branch of UCU have also committed to joint working. Over three years ago, the two sides came to an agreement regarding zero-hours contracts for academic staff – a policy which remains in place.  

A UCEA spokesperson said: “We would hope that the result of this dialogue on these important areas, alongside all that universities are doing, will be seen by UCU members as a route to resolving the current dispute without damaging the collective bargaining arrangements.”  

Meanwhile, in pensions, the Joint Expert Panel has published its second report, which establishes key principles to underpin the future joint approach of Universities UK and UCU to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). Both parties welcomed the report. 

The report makes a series of recommendations concerning the governance of the scheme, the valuation methodology, and the scheme’s sustainability. 

Commenting on the report, Professor Julia Buckingham, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University London said: 

“The Joint Expert Panel has made a helpful set of recommendations to strengthen the scheme. I hope that this report will act as a catalyst and platform for developing a joint approach between the union, the scheme’s trustee board and employers for the 2020 valuation of USS. 

“We will shortly seek employers’ views on the issues and options suggested by the panel to inform our joint working with the University and College Union and USS trustee to reform the scheme. We know that employers want to progress discussions as quickly as possible. 

“Priorities include jointly agreeing a refreshed scheme purpose and valuation principles; reforming the governance; and exploring different approaches to the valuation methodology for 2020.”