10 July 2024
UCU’s Higher Education Committee (HEC) and UNISON’s Sector Group Executive (SGE) have issued negative responses to the employers’ final offer. This is a serious disappointment for our sector as it follows 3 months of detailed discussions with all trade unions and employers considering and consulting on a range of options when modelling the package.*
UNISON SGE’s rejection of the recommendation of its negotiators is equally disappointing, as this is the final offer, and the best achievable through lengthy negotiation. Unite and GMB are in the process of determining timetables for consultation with a neutral recommendation that the offer is the best that can be achieved through the negotiations. We are waiting for an update from EIS.
UCEA and the HE trade unions now look to meet under the auspices of the New JNCHES Agreement dispute resolution procedure.
Employees are waiting for the pay uplift but two dispute meetings are now required and this puts real pressure on implementing a 1 August pay increase.
The employers’ final and total offer results in pay of between 2.5% to 5.7% alongside a review of the pay spine and joint work on contract types, workload and pay gaps.
Raj Jethwa, UCEA Chief Executive said:
“The decision by UCU and UNISON to reject our full and final offer is deeply disappointing as it follows over three months of detailed discussions, at the unions’ request.
“The employers and trade unions remained committed to achieving agreement throughout extensive and detailed negotiations. Despite our HE institutions’ ever increasing financial challenges, a realistic but fair pay offer was achieved, alongside progress in many of the other important areas identified by the trade unions.
“I fear the unions’ committees are failing to grasp the opportunity presented by UCEA’s comprehensive offer. After months and months of detailed talks, triggering a dispute resolution process will only make it harder for staff to receive the uplift in their August pay packets. They are also preventing meaningful joint progress on pay gaps, workload and contract types and the review of the pay spine. I would remind the unions that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”
ENDS
Notes:
The final offer is set out in full detail, sent to trade unions and members, and available to all on the 2024-25 New JNCHES pay round page.
*Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff. The five HE trade unions are EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite. The three scheduled meetings for 2024 are: 26 March, 22 April and 29 April 2024. Adjournments were agreed on several occasions for the final meeting, which was finally concluded on 26 June.
For further information: Please contact Andy Fryer, Head of Communications and Membership (a.fryer@ucea.ac.uk) or Marc Whittaker, Communications and Events Manager (m.whittaker@ucea.ac.uk)
UCU’s Higher Education Committee (HEC) and UNISON’s Sector Group Executive (SGE) have issued negative responses to the employers’ final offer. This is a serious disappointment for our sector as it follows 3 months of detailed discussions with all trade unions and employers considering and consulting on a range of options when modelling the package.*
UNISON SGE’s rejection of the recommendation of its negotiators is equally disappointing, as this is the final offer, and the best achievable through lengthy negotiation. Unite and GMB are in the process of determining timetables for consultation with a neutral recommendation that the offer is the best that can be achieved through the negotiations. We are waiting for an update from EIS.
UCEA and the HE trade unions now look to meet under the auspices of the New JNCHES Agreement dispute resolution procedure.
Employees are waiting for the pay uplift but two dispute meetings are now required and this puts real pressure on implementing a 1 August pay increase.
The employers’ final and total offer results in pay of between 2.5% to 5.7% alongside a review of the pay spine and joint work on contract types, workload and pay gaps.
Raj Jethwa, UCEA Chief Executive said:
“The decision by UCU and UNISON to reject our full and final offer is deeply disappointing as it follows over three months of detailed discussions, at the unions’ request.
“The employers and trade unions remained committed to achieving agreement throughout extensive and detailed negotiations. Despite our HE institutions’ ever increasing financial challenges, a realistic but fair pay offer was achieved, alongside progress in many of the other important areas identified by the trade unions.
“I fear the unions’ committees are failing to grasp the opportunity presented by UCEA’s comprehensive offer. After months and months of detailed talks, triggering a dispute resolution process will only make it harder for staff to receive the uplift in their August pay packets. They are also preventing meaningful joint progress on pay gaps, workload and contract types and the review of the pay spine. I would remind the unions that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”
ENDS
Notes:
The final offer is set out in full detail, sent to trade unions and members, and available to all on the 2024-25 New JNCHES pay round page.
*Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff. The five HE trade unions are EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite. The three scheduled meetings for 2024 are: 26 March, 22 April and 29 April 2024. Adjournments were agreed on several occasions for the final meeting, which was finally concluded on 26 June.
For further information: Please contact Andy Fryer, Head of Communications and Membership (a.fryer@ucea.ac.uk) or Marc Whittaker, Communications and Events Manager (m.whittaker@ucea.ac.uk)
