UCU confirms Thursday's strike action is on

Following talks this afternoon between the unions and government, UCU said it was disappointed that the government had not done more to try and prevent Thursday's action, which will see schools, colleges, universities and offices shut in the biggest strike action in a generation.
 
The row is over planned changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), which UCU says will see greater contributions from pension scheme members in exchange for reduced benefits. The union has warned that there could be a significant opt-out by new starters, which would not only damage their chances of a decent retirement, but also the long-term sustainability of the pension scheme.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We remain committed to a negotiated solution to the pensions row. However, it is incredibly disappointing that the government does not seem to share that desire.
 
'The average lecturer faces an increase of around £90 a month in exchange for reduced benefits. Women who teach in further education retire on an average pension of just £6,000 a year, yet the government wants the public to believe they are on gold-plated schemes.
 
'The real truth is that while ordinary people suffer huge cuts in their standard of living, the richest 1,000 people in Britain saw their collective wealth rise by 18% last year.'