Thread by @aechitty1

It's been pointed out that the 9.1% offer UUK negotiators made to UCU at the #USS JNC on Thursday contained a 'ballot moratorium clause' (the so-called #bullyclause) which immediately made it unacceptable to UCU negotiators.

But it hasn't been pointed out yet that, in their public statements about the offer yesterday, @adamtickell (the chair of the EPF) and @UniversitiesUK have given inadequate summaries of this clause.

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK In the written offer made to UCU negotiators on Tuesday (as quoted by negotiator @njshardy) the clause ran in full:

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy "That UCU agrees not to proceed with the planned ballot for strike action on pensions and hold a moratorium on any pensions industrial balloting or strike action in relation to USS for the period to 1 October 2021."

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy In his summary of the offer yesterday
@adamtickell wrote:

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy "UK’s JNC representatives offered to increase employer contributions by a further 0.5 per cent for two years in return for no industrial action over pensions, subject to consultation with employers and members."
sussex.ac.uk/staff/newsande…

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy In their summary of the offer in a press release, also yesterday, UUK wrote:

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy "UUK’s representatives offered to pay an additional 0.5% for two years in return for no industrial action or ballots in relation to USS for the period to October 2021 – subject to consultation."
ussemployers.org.uk/news/ucu-rejec…

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy Both these summaries of the moratorium clause make invisible its fundamental effect. This is that it does not merely prevent UCU from balloting on whether to take industrial action over the settlement offered for the next two years.

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy It *also* prevents UCU from balloting on whether to take industrial action over whatever settlement for the 2021-24 cycle USS and UUK may impose (with the help of the chair of the JNC) arising from the 2020 valuation.

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy This is because under a normal timetable that settlement will already have been implemented by 1 October 2021, so by that time it will be far too late to launch a ballot to take industrial action against it.

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy So in effect the clause asks UCU to commit to accepting in advance whatever valuation and contribution decisions USS and UUK come up with for the 2021-24 cycle.

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy Worse, UUK goes on to imply that UCU negotiators acted unreasonably in rejecting the offer that included this clause: "The UCU negotiators indicated they were unwilling to compromise, refused to consult their members over the alternative offer, and consequently rejected it."

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy If UCU members are to make a proper judgement on whether their negotiators were reasonable or not in rejecting the 9.1% offer, they need to see the full text of the offer as it was presented to UCU negotiators, not just the incomplete summaries of it we have been given so far.

@adamtickell @UniversitiesUK @NJSHardy I call on UUK to publish this full text as soon as possible.

@USSEmployers @UniversitiesUK @ucu @JosephineCumbo @MikeOtsuka @NJSHardy @Sam_Marsh101 @USSbriefs

/ends