4 October 2024
UCEA response to UCU HEC and progressing the non-pay items
Raj Jethwa, UCEA Chief Executive said:
“The financial pressures facing HE institutions posed a real challenge to the pay uplift from 1 August. UCEA recognised this throughout, and engaged in nearly six months of prolonged negotiations to try to reach a settlement, but the pay award is at the very limit of the sector’s affordability.
“However, despite these financial constraints, there is much good work which employers and unions can do jointly to promote and improve the experience of all those working in the sector. Following the UCU BDM results, the HEC is recommending support for the terms of reference for this important work.
“This is a positive response to UCEA’s new proposal* to progress these important matters jointly with the unions. The proposal is clear; if the unions do not pursue a ballot for industrial action at this stage, the employers will note that the unions have not accepted the pay uplift and will work with the unions to progress these elements of the full and final 2024-25 pay offer. These union and employer priorities include a joint review of the pay spine and joint work on contract types, workload and pay gaps.”
*The full proposal, sent to trade unions on 20 September, is below and available online:
As employers, there are significant areas of work which we wish to carry out in partnership with unions and these areas of work have also been priorities in the Joint HE Trade Unions’ claim over a number of years. These include carrying out a review of the pay spine, together with action to make meaningful progress on contract types, workload and pay gaps. As you will be aware, the Terms of Reference for each of these areas of work were developed in the New JNCHES 2023-24 round and UCEA has committed to taking forward this work as an outcome of the 2024-25 negotiating round.
We acknowledge that some of the Joint HE Trade Unions have indicated that they will not accept the 2024-25 pay offer. While this is disappointing, UCEA would not want the rejection of the pay uplift to inhibit our ability as employers and trade unions to make progress in the important areas identified in the Terms of Reference or any of the other pay-related matters included in our full and final offer. Therefore, if the unions do not pursue a ballot for industrial action at this stage, the employers will note that the unions have not accepted the pay uplift and will work with the unions to progress the pay-related elements of our offer.
The pay uplift is staged in two parts. The first, from 1 August has been backdated and implemented as soon as possible in line with individual HEIs’ payroll systems. The second is from 1 March. As with previous years, we have made the offer conditional on the clause that allows an HEI with extenuating circumstances to defer implementation of the pay uplifts by up to 11 months. There may be deferrals by some individual HEIs when their own financial positions are considered.
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 response to UCU HEC and progressing the non-pay items
Raj Jethwa, UCEA Chief Executive said:
“The financial pressures facing HE institutions posed a real challenge to the pay uplift from 1 August. UCEA recognised this throughout, and engaged in nearly six months of prolonged negotiations to try to reach a settlement, but the pay award is at the very limit of the sector’s affordability.
“However, despite these financial constraints, there is much good work which employers and unions can do jointly to promote and improve the experience of all those working in the sector. Following the UCU BDM results, the HEC is recommending support for the terms of reference for this important work.
“This is a positive response to UCEA’s new proposal* to progress these important matters jointly with the unions. The proposal is clear; if the unions do not pursue a ballot for industrial action at this stage, the employers will note that the unions have not accepted the pay uplift and will work with the unions to progress these elements of the full and final 2024-25 pay offer. These union and employer priorities include a joint review of the pay spine and joint work on contract types, workload and pay gaps.”
*The full proposal, sent to trade unions on 20 September, is below and available online:
As employers, there are significant areas of work which we wish to carry out in partnership with unions and these areas of work have also been priorities in the Joint HE Trade Unions’ claim over a number of years. These include carrying out a review of the pay spine, together with action to make meaningful progress on contract types, workload and pay gaps. As you will be aware, the Terms of Reference for each of these areas of work were developed in the New JNCHES 2023-24 round and UCEA has committed to taking forward this work as an outcome of the 2024-25 negotiating round.
We acknowledge that some of the Joint HE Trade Unions have indicated that they will not accept the 2024-25 pay offer. While this is disappointing, UCEA would not want the rejection of the pay uplift to inhibit our ability as employers and trade unions to make progress in the important areas identified in the Terms of Reference or any of the other pay-related matters included in our full and final offer. Therefore, if the unions do not pursue a ballot for industrial action at this stage, the employers will note that the unions have not accepted the pay uplift and will work with the unions to progress the pay-related elements of our offer.
Notes
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 were: 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.The pay uplift is staged in two parts. The first, from 1 August has been backdated and implemented as soon as possible in line with individual HEIs’ payroll systems. The second is from 1 March. As with previous years, we have made the offer conditional on the clause that allows an HEI with extenuating circumstances to defer implementation of the pay uplifts by up to 11 months. There may be deferrals by some individual HEIs when their own financial positions are considered.
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).
