22 August 2022
Responding to UCU's media release and report Use spare cash and scrap vanity projects to invest in university staff, UCU says, Raj Jethwa, Chief Executive of UCEA, said:
“UCEA represents 145 independent HE institutions from across the four nations of the UK at the New JNCHES bargaining table.
“It is ironic that UCU quotes from the latest OfS update, while ignoring the risks it highlights, including a forecast decline in overall financial performance and the significant cost pressures which could accentuate this.
“Aggregate financial performance also masks the considerable variation between HE institutions, including the numbers of ‘home’ and international students and the staffing profiles necessary to deliver different curricula. Each institution has a legal duty to balance its books and the nationally negotiated pay uplift has to be affordable for all 145 institutions. Many HE institutions are working hard to avoid redundancies, and others are struggling to balance budgets to maintain staffing levels, while delivering this year’s pay uplift into staff pockets.
“Targeting capital investment is disingenuous. UCU knows that it accounts for less than 10% of total spending and suffered significant cutbacks during the pandemic, in order to devote resources to supporting staff and students.
“Our pay uplift provides for up to 9% for staff on the lowest pay points, who are most affected by inflation, and a minimum increase of 3% for all staff. It was important for staff to receive the uplift from the start of the financial year on 1 August* and many will also receive a 3% incremental rise. UCU knows better than to suggest that a handful of institutions can somehow cross-subsidise a 7.9% increase in pay for staff at all institutions.”
*See - UCEA and trade unions conclude the dispute resolution process of the 2022-23 pay round at www.ucea.ac.uk/news-releases/14july22/
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)
Responding to UCU's media release and report Use spare cash and scrap vanity projects to invest in university staff, UCU says, Raj Jethwa, Chief Executive of UCEA, said:
“UCEA represents 145 independent HE institutions from across the four nations of the UK at the New JNCHES bargaining table.
“It is ironic that UCU quotes from the latest OfS update, while ignoring the risks it highlights, including a forecast decline in overall financial performance and the significant cost pressures which could accentuate this.
“Aggregate financial performance also masks the considerable variation between HE institutions, including the numbers of ‘home’ and international students and the staffing profiles necessary to deliver different curricula. Each institution has a legal duty to balance its books and the nationally negotiated pay uplift has to be affordable for all 145 institutions. Many HE institutions are working hard to avoid redundancies, and others are struggling to balance budgets to maintain staffing levels, while delivering this year’s pay uplift into staff pockets.
“Targeting capital investment is disingenuous. UCU knows that it accounts for less than 10% of total spending and suffered significant cutbacks during the pandemic, in order to devote resources to supporting staff and students.
“Our pay uplift provides for up to 9% for staff on the lowest pay points, who are most affected by inflation, and a minimum increase of 3% for all staff. It was important for staff to receive the uplift from the start of the financial year on 1 August* and many will also receive a 3% incremental rise. UCU knows better than to suggest that a handful of institutions can somehow cross-subsidise a 7.9% increase in pay for staff at all institutions.”
*See - UCEA and trade unions conclude the dispute resolution process of the 2022-23 pay round at www.ucea.ac.uk/news-releases/14july22/
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)
