Stirling Unite members extend their support to our colleagues at Sussex.
Over the last 4 weeks Unite members at University of Sussex have been taking a series of strike days to highlight the detrimental changes to staff pensions that the management at University of Sussex are forcing through.
The proposals are to close the University pension scheme to new starters or anyone who as not joined and to apply a defined benefit money purchase type scheme to those outside the existing scheme.
Unite members have tried to engage in a dialogue of other ways to address the pension scheme problems and are prepared to look at ways of helping the scheme reach satisfactory changes.
University of Sussex management however are determined to ignore sensible suggestions or to consider other ways of resolving the issues but insist the only option is to close the scheme for new starters or staff who are not yet in the scheme.
Our members at University have held demonstrations, industrial action, picketed the workplace and many other ways of trying to get their point across.
There are a further two strike days planned on the 13th and 20th November.
Unite is calling a major lobby in Brighton on the 20th November. Any Unite member who wants to come along and show support and solidarity to our members at University of Sussex would be made most welcome by the Unite members involved in this dispute.
This is a dispute our members deserve to win anything you can do by circulating this letter to groups and branches or by getting regional councils to donate would assist enormously.
If groups, branches or regional councils intend to support the Unite members on strike by attending on the 20th November or by any financial support can you contact the Unite Strike Committee at University of Sussex via Branch Secretary Paula Bartle email p.a.bartle@sussex.ac.uk and the Branch Treasurer John Knight j.a.knight@sussex.ac.uk
On behalf of our members in dispute thank you.
Yours in solidarity
Mike Robinson
National Officer
 Higher Education