Time is running out to stop attacks on our pensions

As I mentioned in yesterday's email, a new financial monitoring report from the USS trustee has confirmed that scheme assets have soared to over £88bn and that the deficit has shrunk by 85%. Perhaps most importantly, the trustee has confirmed if a new valuation was conducted at this moment in time, benefits could be increased and/or contributions reduced. 

In that same report, USS confirmed that the level of contributions required to service the deficit has fallen to 0%. UCU members knew there was no justification for UUK's cuts, and they have been vindicated once again. We have asked UUK to revoke the cuts but they say they need a mandate from employers to do so. 

Time is running out to prevent these attacks on our pensions, and so I am asking you to do two things today:

• use our email tool to send a message to your vice chancellor urging them to instruct UUK to revoke their cuts
• sign our emergency petition to the chair of the JNC telling her to back a revocation and support UCU's counter proposals. 

Yours in solidarity

Jo Grady
UCU general secretary