University leaders and union shelve pension proposal

The vice-chancellors’ group Universities UK and the University and College Union have agreed to revoke the proposed changes to the pension scheme that led to a wave of strikes at 65 British universities.

The agreement, reached at a meeting on 27 April, means shelving the plan to change the Universities Superannuation Scheme to a solely defined-contribution pension scheme.

The union and UUK, which represents the employers, are working to set up a Joint Expert Panel that will look at the 2017 USS valuation, according to a statement from the union.