Statement

Date

Industrial action 2021/22 – update

We believe all parties involved in this dispute ultimately want the same thing – to ensure a secure, stable and sustainable pension scheme that is valued by all, regardless of background and career stage. It is deeply regrettable that our community and some of the wider sector are subject to further strike action, due to the current lack of consensus on how to achieve this.

Our priorities throughout this time are to protect the interests of students, including minimising any disruption to them; retain the cohesion of our community; and protect the standard of Leeds degrees. 

The future of the USS pension scheme (Universities Superannuation Scheme) can only be resolved at a national level. It cannot be solved by this or any other university alone, and we hope that all parties remain open to talking, despite the outcome of the ballot.  

Many of the other issues in dispute are within our gift to address, and we are already taking action to address UCU’s concerns about workload and casualisation. 

Commitments to improve some of the issues at the heart of this dispute are already firmly part of our strategic plans, as demonstrated by our Fairer Future For All pledges. We are continuing to engage with our staff on these pledges. 

Further information

For details, see: