Why delay? Talk now to avoid university disruption, says UCU in pensions row

In a letter to the Employers Pension Forum (EPF) the union said it would clear its diary to hold negotiations and avoid disruption at 63 UK universities planned for later this month.
 
UCU members of the University Superannuation Scheme (USS) this week voted go on strike from Monday 21 March in protest against plans to reduce pension benefits and increase costs even though USS is in robust health. More on the dispute can be found at: USS changes - key questions
 
The EPF is looking to introduce the changes from 1 April, which is why the union is drawing up the final plans for the first national strike action by lecturers in five years.
 
In her letter to the EPF, UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said that industrial action is always a last resort for the union and she believes the dispute can be resolved without disruption on campus, but only if both sides are prepared to sit down and talk through the problems. She concludes by saying she'll clear her diary and asks EPF to 'name a date' for talks at the independent arbitration service ACAS.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'University staff really value their pension rights and have made their views of these detrimental changes crystal clear. However, action is always a last resort and I am ready and willing to clear my diary to meet the employers through ACAS immediately. We can avoid widespread disruption on campus, but both sides must be prepared to go that extra mile and move quickly. The ball is in the employers' court and we await their response.'

The 63 institutions that voted in favour of strike action on the issue of pensions are:
 
The University of Aberdeen
Aberystwyth University
University of Bangor
University of Bath
Queen's University of Belfast
University of London, Birkbeck College
The University of Birmingham
University of Bradford
University of Bristol
Brunel University
University of Cambridge
Cardiff University
City University
Courtauld Institute of Art
Cranfield University
The University of Dundee
Durham University
University of East Anglia
University of Edinburgh
University of Essex
University of Exeter
The University of Glasgow
University of London, Goldsmiths
Heriot-Watt University
The University of Hull
Imperial College London
University of London, Institute of Education
The University of Kent
King's College London
University of Wales Lampeter
University of Lancaster
The University of Leeds
University of Leicester
University of Liverpool
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
London School of Economics
Loughborough Univesity
LSTM
The University of Manchester
Newcastle University
The University of Nottingham
Open University
University of Oxford
University of London, Queen Mary
University of Reading
Royal College of Art
University of London, Royal Holloway
The University of Salford
University of London, School of Pharmacy
University of London, Senate House
The University of Sheffield
University of London, SOAS
University of Southampton
University of St Andrews
The University of Stirling
University of Strathclyde
University of Surrey
University of Sussex
Swansea University
University of Ulster
University College London
University of Warwick
University of York