Published: 23rd February, 2018
STATEMENT FROM JON ASHWORTH MP
Member of Parliament for Leicester South
15 February 2018
UCU Pensions Dispute Meeting
I am sorry that I cannot be with you today.
I was extremely disappointed to hear that at the recent USS Joint Negotiating Committee the Universities UK proposals to fundamentally change your pension from a defined benefit scheme to a defined contribution scheme was agreed without UCU agreement.
It is obvious that UCU should be listened to as it is you, the members, which are having your futures put at serious risk.
The national negotiations need to be re-opened before the current proposals are endorsed in June. I have written to the Vice Chancellor at the University to raise my concerns and backing the UCU’s call for the VC to publicly call for the re-opening of national negotiations and to meet with the UCU locally
Jonathan Ashworth MP
February 2018