Universities and College Union (UCU) and Universities UK (UUK) will meet with Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) representatives for talks on the future of the scheme in the new year.

UCU members took industrial action over the proposed increase to employee pension contributions earlier in 2019, with a second ballot planned for 7 January.

The talks will be facilitated by the chair of the USS Joint Expert Panel (JEP), Joanne Segars, following its second report aimed at improving the governance and communication of the scheme.

It also published its timeline for the 2020 valuation of the scheme on 6 December 2019.

The union hopes that the talks will ensure a smoother valuation process than the previous one, which was submitted late to The Pensions Regulator, and help the entities come to agreement over the ongoing dispute.

It said it was a “real opportunity” to avert further strikes and there was an urgent need to address the “high number of people” leaving the scheme.

UCU also hoped that the meetings could help build “trust and confidence amongst members and potential members” by improving the governance of the scheme.

Commenting, UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, said: ‘The second JEP report stressed the importance of all parties coming together to shape the 2020 valuation and to tackle issues of governance with the scheme and I look forward to getting on with the talks in the new year.

"If we are to avoid further serious disruption at universities over USS then all parties need to work on these key issues.

‘Members have made it clear that they have little confidence in the scheme at present and that they should not be made to pick up the cost of extra contributions arising from previous valuations.

"We need to address those concerns and look at how to deliver a fairer and more sustainable valuation process.’

Senior members of the organisations, including UCU general secretary Jo Grady, UUK chief executive Alistair Jarvis and USS Group chief executive Bill Galvin, will attend the talks.

Full dates and details will be announced after Christmas.

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