Please find below a model motion in support of the NEC’s recent decision – this can be downloaded along with other materials including flyers arguing the NEC position on the pensions dispute from here.
Branch/regional motion on NEC decision 20th January
This Branch/Region endorses the 20th January decision of the UCU NEC, alongside the NUT, PCS, UCAC and Unite, to reject the government’s “Heads of Agreement” proposals.
It recognises the urgency of the situation in that the Government intends to impose contribution increases from 1st April, and that;
- under the proposals, public sector workers will continue to pay more to work longer for less;
- the main issues of the dispute remain unresolved – the change from RPI to CPI for pensions in payment, the increase in employee contributions, the extension of the Normal Retirement Age to State Retirement Age, and the abolition of the Final Salary scheme;
- the new proposals represent no substantial improvement on what was on offer before the strike by over 2.5 million public sector workers on 30 November and that, therefore, in common with the other ‘rejectionist’ unions, do not warrant a membership ballot at this time.
This Branch/Region supports:
- the decision of the NEC that our General Secretary (GS) will meet the leaders of other ‘rejectionist’ unions to propose possible forms of co-ordinated action from February, and to invite them to join with UCU in a nationwide strike to defend public sector pensions on 1 March (exactly one month before the government imposes changes on 1 April);
- the call for the NEC’s plans to be debated across UCU branches and regions and for branches and regions to begin preparations for further action including the national strike on March 1st;
- the call for the GS to report back on discussions with other unions, and the results of discussions at branch/regional meetings of the NEC’s position, at a full meeting of the National Executive on 10 February.