UNISON at the University of Sheffield Condemn final pension decision and vote to campaign for membership of SAUL

University of Sheffield UNISON Branch  UNISON at the University of Sheffield Condemn final pension decision and vote to campaign for membership of SAUL. The executive committee University of Sheffield branch of UNISON voted unanimously to continue opposition to the university's cash balance pension scheme and ask that the option of moving the pensions of workers from grades 1-5 into the Superannuation Arrangement of the University of London (SAUL) be looked again again. This stance was endorsed by a joint meeting with both UNISON and Unite members.  The feeling was that the university's executives are using the currently economic climate to make an attack on low paid workers.  While pay and benefits for the higher paid continue to increase, symptomatic of this is the Vice Chancellors 6% pay rise.   Stuart Anderson UNISON branch Secretary said: "For the Vice Chancellor of Sheffield University to get a pay rise of 6% taking his total remuneration to over £311k, more than 20 times the pay of the lowest university worker, in the same year that the university effectively tore up many people's retirement plans is obscene and a slap in the face for ordinary workers. By closing the University of Sheffield Pension scheme and allowing workers to join SAUL, the university would live up to the promises made to staff when they came to work at the university, of a decent pension." Stuart added "This 6% rise in these times will go down like a bucket of cold sick with our members, it is morally irresponsible and more becoming of the obscene bankers bonuses and greedy CEO's than the actions of a leader of a civic institution like the University of Sheffield." Notes for Editors SAUL would give us benefits similar to the ones taken away from the University of Sheffield Pension Scheme and would accept University of Sheffield staff into it.  SAUL started by the University of London in 1976 now has members from over 50 universities.  Contact Information: Stuart Anderson Steve Torrance  UNISON branch Secretary UNISON Regional Organiser  Stuartsevisanderson@gmail.com S.Torrance@unison.co.uk 07889 337081 07866 115729