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Pensions

What is Happening to Your USS Pension?

Published: 8th September, 2021

Summary of USS pension issues  The scheme *appears* to have a big deficit – mainly because the last valuation was done when the stock market was at a deep low because of the COVID pandemic. The market has rebounded, so an updated valuation would show that USS is a healthy scheme. But the USS trustees…

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Four Fights and USS disputes… where now?

Published: 1st June, 2020

Last week we invited all members of Leicester UCU to give their views on the present situation in the Four Fights and USS disputes. These views informed discussions of the union’s Higher Education Committee, which met on 27 May to try to agree where next.  There are four parts to this communication. First, we repeat…

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Greater participation = quicker resolution!

Published: 6th March, 2020

                                    We need you – and you are so welcome! Dear Colleagues! We know you can hear us. And we know that you see us every day, too. Just like we see you going to work. All this despite our shared concerns about the strike, the future of our sector, and the care that our…

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Strikes 2020: Day 9… a new banner

Published: 5th March, 2020

There was much excitement this morning, as we unwrapped our brand new banner – designed by textile artist Cath Long after an ideas workshop she ran with us on December 13. It is an object of great beauty, it includes images of now-iconic features of our picket lines – the purple trombone, for example –…

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Strikes 2020: Day 8… Another riotous and righteous day on the Leicester university pickets

Published: 4th March, 2020

Important Notices about Thursday/tomorrow: The theme is mental health. Come in pyjamas, or in/as something that supports your mental health Meet at the Victoria Park Picket tomorrow – at 10am – to be part of planning for the precarity meeting with the VC If you’d like your voice heard in the precarity meeting with the…

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Strikes 2020: Day 7… Picketers fit for purpose

Published: 3rd March, 2020

“Let’s get physical” was the theme on the seventh day of the strike at Leicester, or “nous hugieis en somati hugiei” as the ancient Greeks would say (meaning “healthy mind in healthy body”). (Unlike God, we did not rest.) The Union leadership, both at local and national level became an example of that, with UCU’s…

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Why are my lecturers on strike?

Published: 3rd March, 2020

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Strikes 2020: Day 6… A beautiful day for a picket

Published: 2nd March, 2020

As we entered the third week of strike action, the much rained upon and windswept members of Leicester UCU were rewarded for their tenacity with some lovely early spring weather. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the daffodils across Victoria Park seemed to be nodding in time to rhythm of our drums….

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Go with the flow…

Published: 28th February, 2020

Print it out, put it on your office door! (Thanks to folk at Manchester UCU: Michael Sanders and Placard Stick Tips.)

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Strikes 2020: Day 5… giving up?

Published: 26th February, 2020

This morning’s headline: the University of Leicester students’ union voted last night ‘with an overwhelming majority’ to support our strikes. We are, of course, very grateful for their solidarity – we hope we will soon have the chance to reciprocate. As trailed in yesterday’s report, we decided to mark the first day of Lent –…

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