Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #USSstrike
Most recents (24)
Given importance of HE sector "there may be a case for future governments to consider alternative options" (incl "state-backed guarantee" or "measures enabling more risk-taking"). Powerful piece from @JMariathasan on #USS DB debate post-#JEP ipe.com/analysis/blogs… #USSstrike 1/
Article argues that central problem lies in regulatory changes that transformed management of a DB pension scheme into "a risk management problem, not an investment one" 2/
More info about the @CSFI1 debate over #USS and DB pensions discussed in @JMariathasan's article at @OpenUPP2018
See:
And: 3/
See:
And: 3/
The sentence "#UUK & the #UCU have since agreed to explore risk-sharing alternatives from 2020, w a particular focus on a #CDC arrangement" pensions-expert.com/Law-Regulation… is particularly interesting, given CDC was not in ACAS agreement (simply discussion on 'alternative scheme designs')
A salutary quotation published today emphasising how easy it is to misconstrue #CDC (collective defined contribution) pensions as DB (NB In #CDC, risk is ALL on the employees): pensionsage.com/pa/CDC-will-be… 
See also my reflections on #CDC back in July. The more that CDC (currently not possible in UK) is invoked – by various people – as a possible future for #USS, the more that potentiality becomes real. This we must resist. #USSstrike
If university senior managers approach comms like this it's gonna be long while before they get trust back:
UCL Provost on #JEP "With the stock market performing more strongly...since the original valuation, the deficit is reduced" – blithely ignoring all substantive JEP points
UCL Provost on #JEP "With the stock market performing more strongly...since the original valuation, the deficit is reduced" – blithely ignoring all substantive JEP points
When I first saw UUK's USS briefing slide, I thought they'd finally acknowledged need to improve modes of engagement, consultation, deliberation, communication.
But no, it's all about standardising their one-way messaging of 'facts' from UUK ▶️ universities ▶️ outwards
2/
But no, it's all about standardising their one-way messaging of 'facts' from UUK ▶️ universities ▶️ outwards
2/
Epistemic & political challenges proliferate – but many actors insist ever more firmly that all that is needed is better one-way communication of (their) facts.
For those of us interested in #STS/public engagement w sci, the comms surrounding #USSstrike are quite something. 3/3
For those of us interested in #STS/public engagement w sci, the comms surrounding #USSstrike are quite something. 3/3
After a few weeks away from Twitter, I'm back to think – alongside many others – about content & rhetoric of the #JEP.
And abt what we at @USSbriefs have been doing all summer w @OpenUPP2018 to encourage deliberations over #USS valuation to take place in public #USSstrike 1/
And abt what we at @USSbriefs have been doing all summer w @OpenUPP2018 to encourage deliberations over #USS valuation to take place in public #USSstrike 1/
Many (incl. @NJSHardy @gailfdavies @DrJoGrady @etymologic @MikeOtsuka) have already provided cogent analyses of the #JEP report & its implications. So here I'll just going to pick out some of what has struck me most forcefully on a first read. #USSstrike 2/
1. There's a judicious use of rhetoric – particularly around 'confidence', '(mis)understanding' & 'communication'. This cleaves closely to that used by #UUK & Bill Galvin – whether that is deliberately so as to increase likelihood of acceptance by those parties, you can decide 3/
UCU members have already demonstrated significant compromise. The ballot that ended strike action was a massive act of compromise. That compromise produced the JEP, & the JEP has vindicated & endorsed the position of UCU members. It has demonstrated the necessity of #USSstrike
The #USSstrike resulted in many of us losing 14 days pay. It required emotional support from loved ones. In some cases it diminished us in the eyes of some colleagues, and in other cases it resulted in punitive actions or threats from our employers.
If compromises are to be made, it is fair to demand they come from @UniversitiesUK & our employers. The JEP makes clear that with minor tweaks USS is sound. As such we need to understand the #USSstrike as employer initiated industrial action. We were left with no choice.
It's been a pretty busy week at @USSbriefs HQ.
We published @BenPatrickWill's fantastic brief on what's coming down the chute in terms of transformation of HE into performance data. An essential read – & glorious @acupunctureUSS design #USSbriefs40 medium.com/ussbriefs/numb… 1/
We published @BenPatrickWill's fantastic brief on what's coming down the chute in terms of transformation of HE into performance data. An essential read – & glorious @acupunctureUSS design #USSbriefs40 medium.com/ussbriefs/numb… 1/
We published Richard Farndale's (in consultation with @CambridgeUCU Exec) excellent set of questions for the #JEP in our @OpenUPP2018 series #USSbriefs41 medium.com/ussbriefs/cruc… 2/
We published @carlomorelliUCU's excellent submission to #JEP (in our @OpenUPP2018 series) on the wider context & political economyof EU legislation – & discount rates – around pensions #USSbriefs42 medium.com/ussbriefs/euro… 3/
Adjudications of RISK remain absolutely central to on-going pension dispute.
An important point from @MikeOtsuka: employers need to be pushed on the level of *investment risk* they're willing to accept. #USSstrike
An important point from @MikeOtsuka: employers need to be pushed on the level of *investment risk* they're willing to accept. #USSstrike
Keeping pressure on employers re level of risk they're willing to accept v important given Bill Galvin saying: "We will ... review our process for the valuation w employers, particularly the early discussions regarding their risk appetite & capacity" uss.co.uk/how-uss-is-run… 2/
We're back to central question of WHO IS (& WHO ISN'T) part of decision-making process re employer investment risk. How is risk conceptualised, & by whom? What & who gets left out? Which risks to university sector slip from view? 3/3 #USSstrike
So Universities UK released a statement responding to the #USS announcements yesterday about contribution increases.
Notice the adjective "challenging" & the phrase "difficult decisions ... over financial priorities" universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/Pro… #USSstrike 1/
Notice the adjective "challenging" & the phrase "difficult decisions ... over financial priorities" universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/Pro… #USSstrike 1/
We should recall that the leaked UUK briefing paper to employers laid out their 'initial views' vis-à-vis the institutional consequences that they believe would follow from increased contributions academicfreedom.watch/sites/default/… 2/
The UUK briefing paper academicfreedom.watch/sites/default/… included potential impacts that would bear on staff (headcount, reward, recruitment) and on capital expenditure (capital investment, ongoing business projects) 3/
I've been catching up w latest on CDC pensions after yesterday's report from Work & Pensions Cttee parliament.uk/business/commi… #USSstrike
TL;dr: I predict even more enthusiasm from UUK about CDC in coming months as part of long-term plan to remove DB to reduce pension liabilities 1/
TL;dr: I predict even more enthusiasm from UUK about CDC in coming months as part of long-term plan to remove DB to reduce pension liabilities 1/
REMINDER: Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pensions share risk *between* the members of the scheme. CDC means that employers are not exposed to the risks associated with DB plans. i.e. Risk is transferred from employer ---> employees ft.com/content/64ae04… 2/
The 16 July report from Work & Pensions Cttee gave enthusiastic thumbs up to enabling CDC for Royal Mail "in a way which will allow other companies to follow suit". Report speaks of a "new wave of collective pensions in the UK" publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cm… 3/
We at @USSbriefs HQ have spent lots of weekends & evenings getting our first briefs ready for OpenUPP. Our efforts to Open Up the #USS Joint Expert Panel start for real today, as we challenge the epistemic landscape of #USS #pensions dispute ussbriefs.com/openupp2018/ #USSstrike 1/
Our first #OpenUPP2018 brief is 'Opening up the USS Joint Expert Panel', by me. I explain why we at @USSbriefs are so committed to Opening Up the #JEP, & provide thumbnail reflections on the 7 people who make up that closed panel medium.com/ussbriefs/open… 2/
Our second #OpenUPP2018 brief is an 'Open Letter from Academics for Pensions Justice' (@ForPension) which demands that #USS provides full disclosure of data, assumptions & the modelling approach underpinning the 2017 valuation to JEP medium.com/ussbriefs/open… #USSbriefs26 3/
I need help from those in PR.
In my ongoing efforts to track the very recent history of UUK/EPF I'm wondering if 'myths & misunderstandings' is a standard PR trope used to reframe a debate, or a particular discursive tic of Alistair Jarvis #USSstrike universitiesuk.ac.uk/blog/Pages/Hav… 1/
In my ongoing efforts to track the very recent history of UUK/EPF I'm wondering if 'myths & misunderstandings' is a standard PR trope used to reframe a debate, or a particular discursive tic of Alistair Jarvis #USSstrike universitiesuk.ac.uk/blog/Pages/Hav… 1/
In Jarvis's recent blog ('Have we "miseducated a generation" about student finance?') he argues that 'myths & misunderstandings' have allegedly led to students having – wait for it – *MISGUIDED* concerns about 'high costs & debt' 💰💰💰 universitiesuk.ac.uk/blog/Pages/Hav… #YesUniCan 2/
'Myths, Misunderstandings & Misconceptions" (EPF, Oct 14, doc author=Alistair Jarvis) argues: 'Many of the comments & claims that have been made against the case for necessary [USS] reform are based on misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the facts' warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statis… 3/
What does it mean when VCs call themselves CEOs or ‘bosses’ of universities?
Now thinking critically about the Leadership Foundation in Higher Education - established by UUK - which embeds certain subjectivities in types, styles, personalities, approaches of HE leadership. lfhe.ac.uk
The role of (inappropriate) sports analogies and weird sexual or gendered language in VC culture - universities trying to push for the ‘champions league’, universities who need to ‘mate’ with similar institutions (David Willetts!)
In my efforts to understand configurations of discourse & representation around UK pensions in 21st century, I've been fascinated, today, by Pendragon's competition, running since 2003, titled the "Art of Pensions" artofpensions.com/exhibition.php 1/
#USSstrike
#USSstrike
The Pendragon "Art of Pensions" is a full-scale competition – with a whole raft of categories (e.g. see artofpensions.com/winners.php?ye…). The winners & long-listed entries are all available for perusal on the Pendragon site 2/
The archive stretches from the early 21st century, through the economic collapse of 2008, & up to 2016 (I'm not sure what happened to the competition in 2017).
In addition to visual materials themselves, you can search by name of artist (some appear several times) & company 3/
In addition to visual materials themselves, you can search by name of artist (some appear several times) & company 3/
For anyone confused about how #ourUCU came out of #UCU2018, some quick background information: Two motions (10 & 11, below), which were critical of the General Secretary's part in the #USSstrike, were passed by branches. They were submitted to Congress & ruled onto the agenda. 1/
At #UCU2018 delegates from the two branches @KCL_UCU & @ExeterUCU were pressured to withdraw these motions. See their accounts here: kcl.ac.uk/unions/ucu/KCL… and exeterucu.wordpress.com/2018/05/30/exe… 2/
This was due to pressure from the local @unitetheunion branch, which represents @UCU staff, including Sally Hunt. The General Secretary is the most senior elected representative in UCU, but they argued that because she is an employee, #UCU2018 could not discuss motions 10 & 11 /3
I've been reading up on the 3 UUK nominees for the UUK–UCU Joint Expert Panel: Ronnie Bowie, Sally Bridgeland, and Chris Curry ipe.com/countries/uk/u… #USSStrike 1/
Let's start with Ronnie Bowie, Partner at Hymans Robertson, who 'works as a Scheme Actuary & Investment Adviser to a number of large private & public sector schemes and has built a reputation as a respected expert witness' hymans.co.uk/people-finder/…
I've been going back to 10 or so years, looking at how actuarial science is discussed before and after the 2008 economic crisis. I am outsider to the field – approaching it as someone who researches recent histories & geographies of various human sciences
It's Friday. This is a thread about holidays, & mini-breaks.
And pensions & USS.
#ofcourse #ussstrike
And in particular about UUK's commitment to ensuring that phrase "contribution holiday" cannot be pinned on to them. So it's a thread about a discursive battle.
And pensions & USS.
#ofcourse #ussstrike
And in particular about UUK's commitment to ensuring that phrase "contribution holiday" cannot be pinned on to them. So it's a thread about a discursive battle.
I'm indebted here to on-going work by @deepa_driver @ProfKurtMills @acupunctureUSS on contribution holidays (& contribution 'mini-breaks' [thanks @acupunctureUSS]).
I'm going to focus here just on the language used rather than the underpayments/holidays/reductions themselves.
I'm going to focus here just on the language used rather than the underpayments/holidays/reductions themselves.
As most of us know, asides from UUK's famous, multiple tweet responses of "happy to meet tomorrow" made on 5 March, UUK communicated very little via Twitter during #USSstrike with those on strike.
⚽ #USSstrike #football STICKER THREAD ⚽
The Panini World Cup 2018 sticker album is horrifically expensive. I'm a cheapskate and I'm obsessed with pensions. Therefore I'm making the official #USSstrike sticker album.
#aesthetic #beetroot #aubergine #backofthenet
The Panini World Cup 2018 sticker album is horrifically expensive. I'm a cheapskate and I'm obsessed with pensions. Therefore I'm making the official #USSstrike sticker album.
#aesthetic #beetroot #aubergine #backofthenet
1/ First up is @MikeOtsuka. USA is not in the World Cup this year. So Mike will have to play for Panama.
The arguments that @UniversitiesUK are making to justify imposing a NEW REAL TERMS PAY CUT on us are ABSURD - as I argue in the thread below. Their arguments are given here: ucea.ac.uk/en/news/index.… 1/12 #USSStrike
FIRST ARGUMENT: "HE institutions also feel that the merits of the benefits and working conditions they provide to staff are often overlooked, knowing that they do provide an excellent reward package". RESPONSE: Here they're justifying real pay cuts on the ... 2/12 #USSStrike
... basis of (i) The good pension scheme that they're in the process of ABOLISHING! (ii) The excellent working conditions they provide. What excellent working conditions? Those in which we regularly feel compelled to work 60 hours per week just to stand still?! 3/12 #USSStrike
1. Here's a 12-tweet thread on today's UUK statement, made shortly after the UCU ballot results were announced, first via Josephine Cumbo and then on their website. universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/bal…
2. In it I compare the new statement with UUK's original offer of 23 March, which is also on their website. universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/Joi…
3. There are two sentences in the new statement which interpret the original proposal in a certain direction. The first says "Reviewing the methodology and assumptions in the current valuation will build confidence, trust and increase transparency in the valuation process."
In #USSballot, I predict an equivocal result. Neither a robust rejection, nor an unqualified acceptance. Somewhere between 60/40 and 40/60. Maybe even 52/48. 🙄
For those interested, here's the preference in the respondents to the #USSvote survey...
#USSstrike @leedsucu
For those interested, here's the preference in the respondents to the #USSvote survey...
#USSstrike @leedsucu
Once the results come out, I can re-weight these to be more accurate. But some interesting trends are apparent in terms of predictors of #USSballot preference
Look at the differences by Twitter use and awareness of #USSbriefs!
#USSstrikes #USSvote
Look at the differences by Twitter use and awareness of #USSbriefs!
#USSstrikes #USSvote
"The great strike 2018" session at #AAG2018 IS OPEN! When I can I'll tweet here. Follow the hashtag #NotAllGeographers
speaking about what happened on social media during #USSstrikes via 3 slices. Slice one: EARLY
Early phase involved repugnance with neoliberal VC's & development of #notallgeographers hashtag. Complex psychosocial movement positioning certain VCs as neoliberal beast.
🤔 In this long thread below, I look at the Pensions Regulator's (tPR) website, and ridicule it 😂
#USSstrike #aesthetic #beetroot
#USSstrike #aesthetic #beetroot
This is the logo for the Pensions Regulator @TPRgovuk
This is not a standard font. The tail of the "e" is elongated.
It suggests that money was paid to design this specifically for tPR.
This is not a standard font. The tail of the "e" is elongated.
It suggests that money was paid to design this specifically for tPR.
According to tPR, the employers provide the teabags.
Fun fact: MY EMPLOYERS DON'T PROVIDE ANY TEABAGS.
It does provide an overpriced Starbucks/Costa/Nero's on campus.
Or you can bring your own PG Tips. And your own kettle of course.
Fun fact: MY EMPLOYERS DON'T PROVIDE ANY TEABAGS.
It does provide an overpriced Starbucks/Costa/Nero's on campus.
Or you can bring your own PG Tips. And your own kettle of course.
So @colette147 since you just sent yet another email to members to which I cannot respond, let me do so here: many of us sent you a letter asking you why you posted misleading information when opening the ballot. You have yet to respond #USSstrike 1/
Our question was: why did you collapse 'revise and resubmit' and 'no detriment' and offered no plan B is the vote is 'no'. Instead of responding, you outline yet again why you recommend 'yes'. This is the third time you have done so @colette147 #USSstrike 2/
This time you start your email with a link 'click here to vote'. Why does the link not go to the ballot @colette147? Why does it go to your previous email also recommending 'yes'? Is this your version of democratic procedures? And how you inform your members? #USSstrike 3/
It is worth considering the likely approach of @TPRgovuk in our dispute in the context of the brand new (19 March 2018) government white paper 'Protecting Defined Benefit Pensions' 1/13 gov.uk/government/pub…
This white paper, which @TPRgovuk has welcomed (here: thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/press/tpr-welc…), seems highly favourable to us. 2/13
For one thing, in it, the government commits to strengthening the regulatory framework and @TPRgovuk's powers by introducing punitive fines for those who deliberately put pensions schemes at risk and criminal sanctions for those "found to have committed wilful or grossly ... 3/13
