BREAKING: Warwick UCU votes to reject UUK offer and continues to strike

Following the last three weeks of strikes, it was announced on the 12th March that an agreement had been reached between the UCU and UUK in order to dispel the continued industrial action of lecturers up and down the country.

The UCU and University UK met under the auspices of The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service in order to reach a compromise between lecturers and the UUK over the proposed changes to pensions.

The following interim solution was proposed:

"Both parties agreed to a transitional benefit arrangement outcome for this valuation which maintains a meaningful level of defined benefits (DB) for all scheme members.

"The transitional arrangement will take effect from 1 April 2019 lasting for 3 years… This includes a total employer contribution of 19.3 per cent of salaries and a total member contribution of 8.7 per cent.

"These increased contributions are only in place for the duration of the 3-year transitional arrangement."

Warwick UCU announced that they opposed this interim solution and rejected the current deal.

Warwick UCU announced plans for further picketing around Warwick Arts Centre.

The solution which was reached after six days of talks, has been met with hostility from many strikers across the country with 34 universities coming to reject it.

Lecturers have announced their disappointment with the strikes with Dr. Donna Yates of the University of Glasgow stated:

"This is not the deal that I have put my research and my students' educations on hold for."

Warwick UCU and other universities have shown continued solidarity by circulating the hashtag #NoCapitulation on social media, in response to the strikes.

It was hoped that the interim solution would bring an end to striking action, but lecturers still feel passionately about protesting in regards to pension rights, with Warwick UCU announcing via Twitter: "Dear All, the details of the proposed deal are definitely not our branch policy.

Rest assured, we’ll definitely be putting our opposition to the deal to the union’s leadership."