Yorkshire Post

Deal hopes in university row over pensions

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THE STALEMATE between lecturers’ leaders and university officials looks to have ended after an agreement was reached in the bitter dispute over pensions.

The University and College Union (UCU) last night said that talks with Universiti­es UK (UUK) had concluded and that a transition­al benefit arrangemen­t had been agreed on, subject to consultati­on with its members.

In the talks, mediated by the conciliati­on service Acas, both parties agreed on an interim solution where both employers and employees will be required to pay higher pension contributi­ons.

A spokesman for the UCU said the agreement would be considered by its higher education committee and branch representa­tives today.

The interim arrangemen­t says that the transition­al period for which higher contributi­ons would need to be paid would be implemente­d on April 1 2019 and last for three years.

Members of staff at universiti­es across the country have been striking in protest at changes to the Universiti­es Superannua­tion Scheme (USS).

The row centres on proposals to change from a “defined benefit” scheme, which gives the retired guaranteed income, to a purely “defined contributi­on” scheme, which is subject to fluctuatio­ns in the stock market.

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