On February 18, 2022, the King’s College London branch of the University and College Union (KCL UCU) announced via Twitter that it has reached an agreement with King’s College London senior management team regarding the pensions dispute.
In their joint statement, both parties stated that they “are united in [their] belief that a contribution of 25-30% of salary should be sufficient to secure a good pension for staff who are members of the USS, and that the USS trustee’s current approach to risk makes it difficult to obtain good value for money”.
The agreement follows two cycles of strike action carried out by the UCU, during which staff protested cuts to future retirement benefits and an increase in contributions to the pension.
BREAKING! We reached an agreement with @KingsCollegeLon on the statement below on #USS. Key points:
– no need for contribution rises
– we can and should protect existing benefits
– governance reform
– divest fossil fuelshttps://t.co/tlLWY4LiHB#OneOfUsAllOfUs pic.twitter.com/Wm7FemLof6— KCL UCU is voting YES! (@KCL_UCU) February 18, 2022
The statement continues by calling on Universities UK (UUK) and the UCU to return to negotiations on proposals that achieve the best possible pension for 25-30% contribution rates and do so consistently with all legal requirements.
In addition, the statement also asks that UUK and the UCU ensure that “USS divests from fossil fuels a number of pension and endowment funds have already done so and calls on both parties to negotiate governance reform for USS that reflects the principle of joint management of the joint pension scheme”.
Whilst the statement marks a significant achievement for the KCL UCU with regards to the pensions dispute, it does not mention anything regarding the Four Fights, another dispute members of the UCU are currently on strike for. Furthermore, in an update on industrial action from the College, it was announced that members of the union UNISON will be carrying out two days of strike action on March 2 and 3. It is noted, however, that “the university will remain open and not all courses or classes will be impacted.
Roar has reached out to KCL UCU and student support groups KCL Students Support the Strike for comment, and will continue to update you as the situation develops.
18/02/22 Update
KCL UCU responded, stating: “We are really pleased that we could agree upon a form of words that represents our members interests. The key point of difference is that our management is slightly most cautious about the scope for reducing contributions while protecting benefits, but we found an acceptable way of putting this. Now we hope that we can have a resolution at national level, and a long term future solution”.
KCL Students Support the Strike gave the following comment: “We welcome news that KCL UCU has successfully negotiated an agreed USS position with King’s management after only five days of strikes. This is undoubtedly a move in the right direction and is testimony to the power of industrial action and collective organising. However we also acknowledge that there is much more work to be done.
“We want King’s not only to honour its statement but also to meet KCL UCU’s demands around the Four Fights: to put an end to the gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps; to end casualisation; to reduce impossible workloads; and to pay staff a fair wage (demands that are particularly vital for Graduate Teaching Assistants, many of whom are also students).
“We also want King’s to meet KCL UNISON’s demands: a £2500 uplift on all pay points; career development and training opportunities; and improvements to working conditions that echo UCU’s Four Fights. We are immensely proud of our teachers and other members of staff in KCL UCU and of what they’ve achieved this week. But the fight for a liberated university, one that provides free, and accessible education for all its members, continues – a fight we will win if staff and students stand together.”
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