16 November 2021
UCEA responds to UCU announcing strike days
Raj Jethwa, UCEA's Chief Executive said:
"The long-waited decision made by UCU’s higher education committee (HEC) is disappointing for the 54 HEIs out of 146 HEIs that will now face autumn industrial action targeting students over the outcome of the 2021-22 JNCHES pay round.
“The 10-day delay in the decision since UCU’s patchy ballot outcome follows three months since the base pay increases (of between 3.6% and 1.5%) were made at HEIs and six months after UCEA’s final pay offer.
"UCU members need to understand that any industrial action aimed at harming students is an unrealistic attempt to try to force all 146 employers to re-open the concluded 2021-22 national pay round and improve on an outcome that is for most of these institutions already at the very limit of what is affordable. It has been 10 days since the ballot results and not one of the HEIs has indicated to UCEA any form of reconsideration.
“We note UCU's campaign focuses on casual contracts and workload. We have made repeated offers of joint work in these areas for two years but UCU has rejected them. UCEA genuinely wishes to engage on these matters as far as we can at a national level, noting that they are ultimately for local negotiations.”
ENDS
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).
UCEA responds to UCU announcing strike days
Raj Jethwa, UCEA's Chief Executive said:
"The long-waited decision made by UCU’s higher education committee (HEC) is disappointing for the 54 HEIs out of 146 HEIs that will now face autumn industrial action targeting students over the outcome of the 2021-22 JNCHES pay round.
“The 10-day delay in the decision since UCU’s patchy ballot outcome follows three months since the base pay increases (of between 3.6% and 1.5%) were made at HEIs and six months after UCEA’s final pay offer.
"UCU members need to understand that any industrial action aimed at harming students is an unrealistic attempt to try to force all 146 employers to re-open the concluded 2021-22 national pay round and improve on an outcome that is for most of these institutions already at the very limit of what is affordable. It has been 10 days since the ballot results and not one of the HEIs has indicated to UCEA any form of reconsideration.
“We note UCU's campaign focuses on casual contracts and workload. We have made repeated offers of joint work in these areas for two years but UCU has rejected them. UCEA genuinely wishes to engage on these matters as far as we can at a national level, noting that they are ultimately for local negotiations.”
ENDS
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).
