Crunch USS pension talks underway

Universities UK and the University and College Union to meet throughout January

Universities UK, the University and College Union and the Universities Superannuation Scheme have begun a series of five meetings to try to resolve the pensions row.

The union believes universities should cover all the costs of increased contributions to the pension fund, but employers think any new costs should be shared on a 65:35 basis. Much of the fallout has been fuelled by disagreements over how the USS fund is valued—one of the main parts of the process that determines what contributions employers and employees should pay.