UNISON National Delegate Conference 2022

The highlight of the UNISON Conference Callander is always the UNISON National Delegate Conference (UNDC). Over 5000+ members visiting from every region of the UK and delegates representing their members from all the service groups.

The excitement has been building for months prior to conference with the publication of the preliminary agenda. The first UNDC since 2019 it was expected to be magnificent affair. Finally coming together again to debate submitted motions, amendments and rule changes, that will set the UNISON agenda for the forthcoming year and beyond.

This year we seen over 200 submissions for business, to fit into four days of activity. It is with great sadness that the delegates where forced to act and stand up to defend our union from within instead of getting on and dealing with the important business.

Members of the elected body the National Executive Council (NEC) illegally changed the rules of the union for one person. Members our rules are there for the better of everyone. The rule was changed to let a member who had been dismissed from employment stay not only as a member of UNISON but also as an elected official. No ordinary elected official of the union but the President.

This fiasco took up the whole day of business on Tuesday and also the whole of Friday morning. Taking away valuable debates and time for delegates to get on with issues that matter to their members.

The conference passed a vote of no confidence in the NEC. The NEC should have done the honourable action and should have resigned, but they didn’t.

The conference passed a motion that unemployed members can no longer hold a place in the union. The President should have stepped aside, but he didn’t.

The NEC continued and dragged their heels on these motions and on Friday morning was taken up by forcing the NEC to respond by means of an Emergency Motion.

Delegates did manage to get some business and some vital important motions passed. Check out the @UNISONljmu Twitter feed with the #UNISONljmu #UNDC22 

For more information on this check out Roger McKenzie’s reporting of the conference in the Morning Star.

Marxism Festival 2022

 A Festival of Socialist Ideas

Friday 1^st to Sunday 3^rd July

Marxism 2022 is a festival of socialist ideas in east London, bringing together debates, live music, a culture tent, film screenings and more. Activists, students, academics and campaigners from across the globe will be debating the fight for a better world.

Book your ticket HERE.

For full details check out the Festival information HERE.

Topics of debate for 2022

Motion 17 Amendment 17.1 - 2022

 

Ray Burns from UNISON@LJMU at the 2022 UNISON Higher Education Conference.

Speaking in support of Motion 17 and Moving Amendment 17.1

17. Recognising the real impact of Covid and Lockdown on support staff

The work done by members in the last 18 months has been simply phenomenal; or if you prefer, “unprecedented”. Members at all grades have gone that extra mile to essentially keep the Higher Education (HE) sector alive: whether that be staff in security, residential services, cleaning, estates who have stayed on campus, meaning that they have effectively been working on the front line; or the administrative and support staff who have borne the massive burden of moving just about everything a university does and putting it on-line – this involved huge effort, imagination, skill and sometimes endurance.

We did all of this for a zero percent pay rise. Following 12 years of below inflation pay settlements.

Next year’s miserly ‘offer’ has already been swallowed up by the National Insurance increase – which in effect is making workers pay for their own efforts to keep the economy running – before we get started on the cost of living increases, the terrifying fuel bill increases and the cut to Universal Credit which is nothing less than spiteful.

The workers of this sector need, they deserve, a full accounting of all that has been given in their service to HEIs (Higher Education Institutes) over the last 18 months. This must include a looking at the toll on the physical and mental health. Therefore, we call upon conference to require the Service Group Executive (SGE) to use all means at their disposal to investigate:

1) The real, and increasing, costs to staff of working from home – heating, lighting, network upgrades, equipment etc.

2) The amount of overtime worked, including, if possible, the hidden hours done by staff not taking lunch breaks, continuing to answer emails into the evening, or on days off.

3) Issues around caring responsibilities / home schooling / flexible working.

4) Sickness absence rates – any increases in sickness absence, especially Mental Health, anxiety and stress.

5) Increased instances of grievances, for reasons such as bullying.

6) Health and Safety reports / concerns relating to Covid safety; concerns relating to returning to / re-opening of campuses.

And then, armed with this information, to energetically and in a joined-up manner, lobby the sector employers for fair reparation.

They could not have done it without us.

Leeds University

17.1 Amendment to Motion 17. Recognising the real impact of Covid and Lockdown on support staff

Insert

7) Promote the Hub of Hope Database of Mental Health Resources across the Service Group.
Liverpool John Moores University

Motion 4 Amendment 4.1 - 2022

Ray Burns from UNISON@LJMU at the 2022 UNISON Higher Education Conference.

Speaking in support of Motion 4 and Moving Amendment 4.1

4. Higher Education Service Group Executive Pay Motion 2022/23

The past few years have been turbulent for everyone working in higher education due to the precariousness and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. The past couple of years have seen an unprecedented attack on higher education pay – with the national higher education employers not making a pay offer to their staff for the year 2020/21.

The pay offer for 2021/22 was 1.5% for the majority of staff. This offer neither met our pay claim nor gave any element of catch up. Additionally, the government’s announced increase of 1.25% on national insurance payments, means that almost all of the pay offer has been taken up by this extra taxation. The increases in utilities bills, particularly gas and electricity, and the increase in food prices means that inflation is to predicted to soon exceed 4%.

Over the past thirteen years higher education pay has fallen in real terms. Staff are working harder than ever, and the cost of living has risen, but pay hasn’t kept up. The employers must urgently address pay injustice. Universities continue, on average, to pay their female staff less than their male counterparts despite equal pay legislation being in place for over 50 years, and reports show that Black staff earn less than their white counterparts.

In some universities staff work a 35-hour week and in others a 37-hour week – working 6% extra for no more money – another example of pay inequality within the Higher Education (HE) sector. A 35-hour working week should be the standard across the sector.

Low pay continues to be a problem in higher education – the lowest pay point, for staff working on a 36 or 37 hour contract, is below the foundation living wage rate of £9.50 per hour (outside London). University employers should ensure that everyone on campus earns a decent wage whether they work for a contractor or directly for the university.

University workers have done their utmost to keep universities running throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to do so. They have adapted to working from home, or they continued coming into campus to support students and colleagues – putting others first. All staff deserve and need a real, meaningful pay rise in 2022/23 to make up for the years of below inflation pay rises and to keep up with the cost of living.

Now is finally the time for universities to make good – for them to give university employees a decent pay rise. The 2022/23 pay rise must address the lost earnings in the sector as well as ensuring that pay keeps up with the cost of living.

Conference calls on the Higher Education Service Group Executive to pursue joint union negotiations and to produce a joint claim that seeks to incorporate the following points:

1) Negotiate a consolidated pay award of a flat rate of £1,900 or 5% whichever is greater with a minimum of an above inflationary pay rise.

2) Establish a minimum bottom spine point of £10 per hour for a 37 hour week, and negotiate so that all universities are accredited Living Wage Foundation employers ensuring that all staff on campus receive at least the Living Wage rates.

3) Negotiate similar consolidated increase on London Weighting and all other allowances negotiated nationally. Work with branches to seek to negotiate a similar rise in all appropriate local allowances.

4) Negotiate a national agreement with the HE employers to oversee the introduction of a maximum 35 hour working week in all universities.

5) Establish a Scottish sub-committee of the New Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) as set out under the New JNCHES Agreement. The main purpose of the sub-committee would be to deal with matters not currently being dealt with at the New JNCHES Committee.

6) Negotiate on joint employer and union action to eliminate the gender and ethnic pay gap, work with regions, branches and sister trade unions to achieve these ends. To take an intersectional approach to achieving pay equality for all staff. Seek to work with employers, aiming for transparency and full sharing of data at both a national and local level.

7) Build a campaign for all universities to become accredited Foundation Living Wage employers reminding them of the moral and business case of why they should apply for Living Wage accreditation and demand that they do so.

8) Negotiate for a national agreement to reduce precarious employment in Higher Education seeking, as far as possible, for staff to be employed on permanent contracts. Negotiate for a national agreement to bring outsourced workers in higher education back into direct university employment.

9) In the event that the joint pay claim is not met by the employers, seek to escalate the pay campaign, with a clear plan, in conjunction with fellow Higher Education trade unions. This may include lawful industrial action to strengthen the campaign in accordance with UNISON rules relating to industrial action.

Higher Education Service Group Executive

4.1 Amendment to Motion 4. Higher Education Service Group Executive Pay Motion 2022/23

Amend Point 2) to say:

Establish a minimum bottom spine point of £12 per hour for a 37-hour week and negotiate so that all universities are accredited Living Wage Foundation employers ensuring that all staff on campus receive at least the Living Wage rates.

Insert

10) if the joint pay claim is not met in full by the employers for 2022/23, The HESGE is to explore the option of a multi-year pay deal for 23/24 with branches within the service group.

Liverpool John Moores University

UNISON Higher Education Conference 2022

 

The annual UNISON Conference for Higher Education took place this week on Tuesday 22^nd February 2022. It was planned to take place in Newcastle but due to the pandemic, it was the first year the event was performed as a virtual conference. Members from Higher Education Institutions the length and breadth of the UK logged on to take part in the democratic process of the union.

22 motions were successfully submitted to the conference for debate. Two motions FELL as a consequence of another motion and two others FELL due to no mover being present from the branch to move them. All the other motions passed with overwhelming support from the conference delegates.

Below are three of the most important stories that came out of the conference. Click the links to view them on the UNISON News Web Site.

UNISON urges HE employers to ‘eradicate poverty pay’

UNISON vows to fight against the sustained attack on HE pensions

Higher Education staff have ‘yet again kept the sector going’

Higher Education Service Group Executive Pay Motion 22/23

The past few years have been turbulent for everyone working in higher education due to the precariousness and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

The past couple of years has seen an unprecedented attack on higher education pay – with the national higher education employers not making a pay offer to their staff for the year 2020/21.

The pay offer for 2021/22 was 1.5% for the majority of staff. This offer neither met our pay claim nor gave any element of catch up. Additionally, the government’s announced increase of 1.25% on national insurance payments, means that almost all of the pay offer has been taken up by this extra taxation. The increases in utility bills, particularly gas and electricity, and the increase in food prices means that inflation is predicted to soon exceed 4%.

Over the past thirteen years, higher education pay has fallen in real terms. Staff are working harder than ever, and the cost of living has risen, but pay hasn’t kept up. Employers must urgently address pay injustice. Universities continue, on average, to pay their female staff less than their male counterparts despite equal pay legislation being in place for over 50 years, and reports show that Black staff earn less than their white counterparts.

In some universities staff work a 35-hour week and in others a 37-hour week – working 6% extra for no more money – another example of pay inequality within the Higher Education (HE) sector. A 35-hour working week should be the standard across the sector.

Low pay continues to be a problem in higher education – the lowest pay point, for staff working on a 36 or 37-hour contract, is below the foundation living wage rate of £9.50 per hour (outside London). University employers should ensure that everyone on campus earns a decent wage whether they work for a contractor or directly for the university.

University workers have done their utmost to keep universities running throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to do so. They have adapted to working from home, or they continued coming into campus to support students and colleagues – putting others first. All staff deserve and need a real, meaningful pay rise in 2022/23 to make up for the years of below-inflation pay rises and to keep up with the cost of living.

Now is finally the time for universities to make good – for them to give university employees a decent pay rise. The 2022/23 pay rise must address the lost earnings in the sector as well as ensure that pay keeps up with the cost of living.

Conference calls on the Higher Education Service Group Executive to pursue joint union negotiations and to produce a joint claim that seeks to incorporate the following points:

1) Negotiate a consolidated pay award of a flat rate of £1,900 or 5% whichever is greater with a minimum of an above inflationary pay rise.

2) Establish a minimum bottom spine point of £12 per hour for a 37 hour week, and negotiate so that all universities are accredited Living Wage Foundation employers ensuring that all staff on campus receive at least the Living Wage rates.

3) Negotiate a similar consolidated increase on London Weighting and all other allowances negotiated nationally. Work with branches to seek to negotiate a similar rise in all appropriate local allowances.

4) Negotiate a national agreement with the HE employers to oversee the introduction of a maximum 35-hour working week in all universities.

5) Establish a Scottish sub-committee of the New Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) as set out under the New JNCHES Agreement. The main purpose of the sub-committee would be to deal with matters not currently being dealt with at the New JNCHES Committee.

6) Negotiate on joint employer and union action to eliminate the gender and ethnic pay gap, work with regions, branches and sister trade unions to achieve these ends. To take an intersectional approach to achieve pay equality for all staff. Seek to work with employers, aiming for transparency and full sharing of data at both a national and local level.

7) Build a campaign for all universities to become accredited Foundation Living Wage employers reminding them of the moral and business case of why they should apply for Living Wage accreditation and demand that they do so.

8) Negotiate for a national agreement to reduce precarious employment in Higher Education seeking, as far as possible, for staff to be employed on permanent contracts. Negotiate for a national agreement to bring outsourced workers in higher education back into direct university employment.

9) In the event that the joint pay claim is not met by the employers, seek to escalate the pay campaign, with a clear plan, in conjunction with fellow Higher Education trade unions. This may include lawful industrial action to strengthen the campaign in accordance with UNISON rules relating to industrial action.

10) if the joint pay claim is not met in full by the employers for 2022/23, The HESGE is to explore the option of a multi-year pay deal for 23/24 with branches within the service group.

Motion by the UNISON Higher Education Service Group Executive as amended by              UNISON Liverpool John Moores University.

Passed at the UNISON Higher Education Conference 2022 - 79 - For, 4 - Against.