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The University and College
Union (UCU) was formed by the amalgamation of the Association of
University Teachers (AUT) and the National Association of Teachers in Further
and Higher Education (NATFHE).
Former DUCU President Ranald Michie addresses UCU members
outside Old Shire Hall during previous industrial action in 2006
UCU represents and negotiates on behalf of academic
and related staff at all stages of their careers, and with all types of
employment contract. Membership is open to lecturers, administrators,
researchers, librarians, computing staff and postgraduates employed in
teaching or related duties. Locally, Durham UCU negotiates on behalf of its
members with the University, and is represented on a number of University
committees.
On this site you will find information about why you should join the UCU and how to join, who the
committee is and what we do, how your views are
represented within the university, who to
contact if you would like advice or representation, DUCU's
newsletters, and information and updates on national campaigns.
Important Note for
Members Taking Early Retirement
If you wish to remain a member of UCU once you take early
retirement, send an email to ducu.office@durham.ac.uk and the membership
secretary will make the appropriate arrangements. The subscription is reduced
to £2.23 per month.
Ballot for further action
UCU branches were notified at the
beginning of June of the timetable for the new USS industrial action ballot.
The ballot opened on 20 June and close on 14 September..
The notice comes after members of UCU
attending UCU's annual congress voted to step up the campaign of industrial
action in an increasingly bitter row over the USS changes. The escalation of
action could see widespread disruption to marking, the admissions process and
exams.
Delegates in Harrogate backed a motion
calling for UCU members in the 'old' pre-92 universities who are in the
Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension scheme to be balloted for
'sustained industrial action.'
Message from the UCU General Secretary:
Vote Yes
Dear colleague
I'm writing to you to urge you to use your vote in our ballot over the USS
dispute and to vote yes to support your union.
As you know, we are balloting you again over the employers' imposition of
their highly detrimental reforms to the USS pension scheme. We have produced
a new full briefing for members on the present situation and the need for a
ballot, which you can read here.
But I want to take a little time in this letter to set out why I think we
need to do this.
It would be easy to think that these changes only affect new members. I
believe that would be a serious mistake. While our campaign has won protection
for existing members, who can stay in the final salary pension scheme, the
employers are pushing through changes that remove your right to an unreduced
pension if you are made redundant. At a time when we face tremendous
insecurity in our sector, this is a naked attempt to make it cheaper to sack
you and your colleagues.
If you are a new entrant to the scheme, you will now join a vastly inferior
pension scheme, with a very poor career average benefit structure. That means
you could lose around 30% from the value of your pension at retirement,
compared to those in the final salary scheme.
As well as being unfair, I think that's extremely dangerous for the health of
our scheme and for the future of all our existing members. The employers have
made it clear that in the long term they want to reduce their contributions
and that gives them a big incentive to look to move those currently on final
salaries onto the new scheme.
If we let the employers impose worse pensions on new members, we are also giving
them the opportunity as well as the motive to come back for more. Within five
years, active members on final salary pensions will be outnumbered by those
on the new scheme. Asking those people to stand up for our pensions in five
years time, will be a tall order.
That's why I am asking you to vote yes to industrial action now. I believe
this could be our last chance to defend the USS pension scheme for all
members.
But I also have to be honest about what I'm asking you to do.
It is clear that one-day strikes will not move the employers. That's why we
need to be ready to undertake a sustained programme of industrial action,
including action short of a strike, aimed at disrupting the universities'
operations. The employers have made it clear that they will take a robust
line on partial performance. But I don't believe we can dodge this fight. So
we are asking branches to work with us to develop local action strategies now
and we are making clear that these must have the support of members.
In the meantime, please make sure you use your vote and vote yes to
industrial action. A big, strong turnout and a large majority for action will
send a clear message to the employers that their strategy of bullying and
intimidation has failed.
….
Thanks for taking the time to read this letter.
Yours
Sally Hunt
UCU General Secretary
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