PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS UPDATE: Download the latest update from Unite regarding Public Service Pensions.

For Information: Unite – Higher Education Sector are not involved in the current dispute over public sector pensions and therefore we at the University of Stirling are not in dispute over this matter.

Please see following for further information.

• Action Alert approaching a picket
• Action Alert picketing advice for those on strike
• Action Alert use of agency and emergency cover guidance

We have 3 member nominated trustees at the moment: Viv Alexander (retired member), Bruce Sutherland (retired member) and myself, Bill Jamieson (active member).

Bruce’s term of office expires at the end of July and we are looking for someone to replace him. We are entering a potentially difficult period for the University pension scheme and it would be useful to have a full complement of member nominated trustees.

If anyone is interested, please let me know.

There is also a vacancy for a Unite member on the Staff Charities committee. The main task being the yearly disbursement of funds to nominated charities. One of the more rewarding committees to be on! You need to be a Unite member and a contributor to the Staff Charities Fund.

Bill Jamieson

Read the latest Scottish Pensioners Forum Newsletter.

Stirling Unite members extend their support to our colleagues at Sussex.

Over the last 4 weeks Unite members at University of Sussex have been taking a series of strike days to highlight the detrimental changes to staff pensions that the management at University of Sussex are forcing through. Read the rest of this entry »

Many staff in the University who, by virtue of role analysis are newly eligible to enter the USS pension scheme have received their individual statements showing what the transfer rate from the University scheme (USPS) to USS would be. As expected the news is not good, with some reporting transfer rates as low as 30% – 45%. It is clear that in most cases a transfer of this nature is extremely detrimental to the individual and I see no logical reason to transfer on these grounds.

If staff are regraded at a later date into grades 6-10 or within 6-10 it is believed they will be required to transfer to the USS scheme. In other institutions a transfer on these grounds has been agreed to follow the transfer club rules and they will take with them the same number of years they had in their local scheme, but this has still to be confirmed at Stirling.

All staff who were re-graded to grades 6 – 10 will have been sent a letter (dated 22nd June) and information pack informing them that as of the 1st June they were automatically enrolled in the USS pension scheme, and if they wanted to opt-out they had to do so in writing by 28th June.

This was in fact incorrect and the error has been brought to the attention of management, who have advised me that they have now reversed this decision.

This means that all staff who are now eligible to join the USS scheme as a result of re-grading will not automatically be enrolled in USS and will be given a reasonable time period (yet to be decided, but probably no less than 3 months) in which to choose whether they wish to join USS or remain in the University scheme.

Any USS deductions made in the June payroll will be reimbursed in the July payroll. Also, any member of staff who decides at this stage that they do want to transfer to USS please contact Anne Anderson as soon as possible.

Dear Colleagues

There are proposed changes being announced to both the USS and LGPS. As some Universities operate both I am attaching an outline for both as separate documents.

Yours sincerely
Mike Robinson (National Officer Higher Education)

For further information please read the three attached documents

• University & USS Pensions
• The USS Scheme
• The Local Government Pension Scheme.

The LGPS Pensions Newsletter can be downloaded here. John Allott is the Amicus National Officer leading on Local Government pensions. Members in affected schemes are asked to write as per the newsletter. If you are in any doubt you should contact your local Regional Officer for further advice.

Please find attached Amicus advice from Amicus National Officer, John Allott. John covers members in Local Authorities and as such is the Amicus lead negotiator with the Government and Local Government Association on the Local Government Pension Scheme issue.

I trust you will find his report useful.