H.E. Pay 2022 - Update

The joint trade unions (UNISON, UCU, Unite, EIS and GMB) met with UCEA for the second pay negotiating meeting of the new Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (new JNCHES) on Monday 25 April 2022.

 

Our meeting took place in the context of over 10 years of real terms pay cuts for our members working in Higher Education, and in the midst of the biggest cost of living crisis for 30 years. Our members have worked tirelessly to keep the sector going over the last two difficult years and we hoped that  employers would acknowledge the need for real recognition and reward for that work.

 

Following the first meeting on 30 March, the joint trade unions received an initial offer in writing from the employers on 21 April. This offer fell well short of our joint pay claim. It involved an offer of a 2.75% sub-inflationary rise on the majority of pay points, with bottom loading on pay points 3 - 19 ranging from 6% at point 3 to 2.8% at point 19, to accommodate the legal requirement to meet the new national minimum wage. The offer included a rise in all other pay related allowance by the same percentage points, and an offer to continue talks to progress all other elements of our joint claim.

Current LJMU Pay Scales

https://www.unisonljmu.org.uk/news/salary-scales-2021

Currently as Proposed Pay Scales

https://www.unisonljmu.org.uk/news/proposed-salary-scales-2022

 

At the second meeting the joint trade union side pressed the employers hard on the current cost of living crisis and the impact of this on our members, and on the need to address and eradicate poverty pay. We stood by all elements of our claim and reiterated that we are seeking real progress on those issues in relation to the compression of the pay spine, pay inequalities, workload, stress, insecure employment, outsourcing, redundancies and Scottish JNCHES.

 

We made it clear to the employers that we are aware that low pay is making it increasingly difficult for universities to recruit to their lower paid jobs and some others, and that demoralisation amongst staff at all levels is now a massive issue, with a knock-on effect on health and wellbeing.

 

We pointed out that the adjustments being offered at the bottom of the pay spine were not generous and no more than was necessary in order to accommodate the rise in the national minimum wage, and that this offer was a pay cut, in real terms, not a pay rise. We pushed the employers to make a more substantial offer, and they came back to say that they could offer another 0.15% on the pay bill overall. This means the majority of staff are being offered 2.9%.

In the context of the real suffering we know our members are currently experiencing, we found this to be a woefully inadequate response.

 

We are expecting a revised offer from the employers in writing within the next few days and the third pay negotiating meeting of the new Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (new JNCHES) will take place on 5 May 2022.

H.E. Pay 2022 Update

Delays to university pay talks are ‘unacceptable’ say unions

The UCEA’s decision not to present a pay offer ‘sends a message that employers don’t understand the urgency of the issue’

Joint education unions, including UNISON, have voiced their ‘outrage’ at the university employers’ decision not to present a pay offer for members in the first meeting of the 2022/23 pay round, last week.

The five unions, who are part of the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES), released a statement yesterday, condemning the decision by the Universities and Colleges Employer’s Association (UCEA) that they were “not yet in a position” to present a pay offer.

The UCEA was presented with the unions’ fully evidenced pay claim at the end of February and had over a month to consider it and prepare an offer.

Without one, higher education members are being left in limbo at a critical moment for the sector, with workers facing a massive cost-of-living crisis after years of below-inflation pay increases.

Furthermore, the decision to delay the pay process comes in the middle of an ongoing dispute about the 2021/22 pay round which has resulted in industrial action mandates for nine UNISON branches, seven of whom have taken strike action in the last fortnight alone.

In the statement, the unions said: “These are unprecedented times, and we can’t underestimate the impact on our members. We would expect UCEA representatives to act with urgency in putting an offer on the table.”

The employers have now committed to providing an offer in writing before the next meeting of the JNHCES on 25 April.

***** JOINT STATEMENT

On 30 March, representatives of the five trade unions of the New Joint Negotiating Committee for the Higher Education Sector (JNCHES) met with representatives of the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA) in the first meeting of the 2022-23 bargaining round. This occurs in the middle of an ongoing dispute and industrial action over the 2021-22 round, and a live ballot from three of the five trade unions.

These negotiations take place at a critical moment for our sector, in which our members face spiraling inflation and unhealthy working conditions. 

Our claim https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/12528/HE-unions-claim-2022-23/pdf/TUJNCHESclaim202223FINAL.pdf was prepared over three months, and the headline demands were given to UCEA on 28 February.

Having had these headline demands for over one month, and having consulted their member institutions, UCEA representatives were well placed to table an opening offer to address both the serious cost of living crisis facing our members and the deep-seated discontent in the higher education sector. These are unprecedented times and we can’t underestimate the impact on our members we would expect UCEA representatives to act with urgency in putting an offer on the table.

Instead, early in the negotiations, UCEA informed us that they were ‘not yet in a position to present their offer to our members. Delaying serious negotiations is unacceptable given UCEA’s responsibility to staff, students, and to the employers who are their members. The joint trade unions are committed to the process of collective bargaining, and the clear benefits that sector-wide standards for pay and working conditions offer higher education in the United Kingdom.

Following just under five hours of discussions, ending with a powerful presentation on the insulting and derisory nature of a decision to frustrate negotiations, the trade unions were forced to conclude that UCEA had no intention of negotiating seriously.

Given the immense pressure that is facing HE institutions and staff from continued industrial action, and the prospect of more joint action in the near future, we must question UCEA’s judgment in delaying meaningful negotiations, and whether they did in fact have a mandate to delay from their constituent member institutions.

Our members have stood by universities over the last 2 years when they were told there was financial uncertainty due to Brexit and COVID which did not materialize. They have been on and off furlough, changed roles, adapted to working on and off-campus, and taken on additional responsibilities.  Our members will rightly feel that the last 2 years have disproportionately impacted some of the lowest-paid workers and equality groups in our sector.

We are aware that members will share our outrage at the behavior of our employers’ negotiators, and call on employers who share this displeasure and who wish for an end to the unhealthy industrial relations in this sector, to ask whether their representative’s acting in this way is in the best interests of employers, staff, and students. Trade union representatives view the conditions facing our members and the sector with the utmost seriousness and will continue to seek a resolution that will lead to a healthy and flourishing sector focusing on a shared commitment to education and discovery of knowledge.

A joint statement agreed by all five HE trade unions, March 2022.*****

Ruth Smith, UNISON senior national officer for education, said: “It’s a great disappointment that the UCEA negotiators have decided not to present an offer, especially at a time like this, and it sends a message that the employers do not understand the urgency of the issue.

“Last year, most members only received a 1.5% increase, and the year before there was a pay freeze. Now, with spiraling inflation and members facing massive increases to their gas, energy, and food bills, the last thing they need is more uncertainty.

“The employers must understand the genuine hardship that many of our members working in higher education are currently suffering.

“Members were hoping for some good news from this new round of talks, but they will be bitterly disappointed that the employers had nothing to say on pay, at this critical time.”

Pay Negotiations 2022/23

 

The Higher Education Joint Union's Pay Claim Talks for 2022/23 start today. The first of three rounds of talks are underway.

For the full pay TUJNCHES claim for 2022/23 click HERE

‘Warm words don’t pay the bills’ for university staff

It’s a shame for the whole sector that higher education members are struggling to survive on their university pay packets.

University employee pay has fallen by nearly 20% over the past 12 years. UNISON’s higher education members responded to our recent survey explaining how real terms pay cuts to affect them. Some are forced to take on second jobs just to pay their bills, and one member told us they couldn’t even afford to get their prescription, so had to go without.

Thousands of university workers are on the legal minimum wage, with many more thousands falling below the Living Wage Foundation rate. But when the new minimum wage of £9.50 comes into effect this Friday, four pay points on the higher education pay spine will fall below it for those working a 37 hour week.

Many universities are having to take urgent measures to ensure this doesn’t happen. But we’ll also see a rise in the energy price cap on 1 April, council tax increases will hit at the beginning of April too, the national insurance rise starts from 6 April, and the childcare costs cap for those on universal credit will not rise with inflation in April – staying the same as it has since 2016.

It’s little wonder that many UNISON members have been left with no choice but to vote to take strike action over their pay and pensions. They’ve seen the value of their wages eroded for so long, and the added pressures on their living costs are mounting up.

It’s a shame on the whole sector that higher education members – some working for world-class institutions – are struggling to survive on their university pay packets.

Across the country, UNISON members have experienced attacks on their pension schemes too. Whether it’s employers seeking to avoid providing support staff with the Local Government Pension Scheme or through detrimental changes to the USS pension scheme. It’s because of these attacks that 60% of our members say they don’t feel valued by their employer, with 55% saying it’s due to their basic pay levels.

University staff have had enough. Along with other education and public service workers, they worked throughout the pandemic to keep their universities going, ensuring vital research was uninterrupted and that students had access to online lectures and seminars.

University staff helped students to isolate, provided pastoral care, set up IT systems, and kept campuses safe and secure. University employers need to get serious about working with UNISON to tackle poverty pay and make sure the pay spine is fit for the future, and provides rewarding career paths for all staff, regardless of grade.

As UNISON – along with the other joint higher education trade unions – enters into pay talks for the new pay year, I’m calling on university employers to make our members an offer that keeps up with the rising cost of living; an offer that begins to catch up with the loss in value of pay and that recognises the vital contribution that all staff make to our fantastic higher education institutions.

Our message is clear: “Make our members an offer that’s good enough – and remember, warm words of thanks won’t pay the bills”.

From UNISON HQ Blog read HERE

Fairness in Appeals Process

Fairness in Appeals Process 

Back in January UNISON@LJMU informed you of the below change to the LJMU Disciplinary Policy, where the final independent appeals stage is currently overseen by the Board of Governors.

 

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27^th January 2021

The Board of Governors has requested that LJMU remove them from the appeal stage for disciplinary hearings within LJMU. In the proposed change they would be replaced by members of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

The three unions at LJMU have serious concerns about this change. Since 1996 the Board of Governors has been the last stage, in the appeals process. Along with that, they are the only independent body within the university. The majority of the appeals, that are brought and heard before the Board of Governors are won in favor of the unions. It’s not as if there are many of them as they number on average, three per year.

This is a major unprecedented change in Higher Education (HE). From the research undertaken by members of the UCU Branch Committee. No other Higher Education Institutions (HEI) have removed the Board of Governors from this process.

We are asking for every member to support the three unions in this issue. This makes a big difference directly in people's lives. As jobs are kept or lost through this process. The three unions believe that removing the Board of Governors, it makes the appeals procedure unbalanced in favor of the university.

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GMB, UCU, and UNISON@LJMU have worked hard communicating with members and none members across the university estate. Trying to rally support to oppose this move.

 

Unfortunately, we have to report that we have been defeated in this fight. The decision has been made and the governors have been removed from the policy. The new policy has been imposed against the joint union's recommendations.

 

The final independent stage from now on is conducted by an LJMU Manager making it not independent at all.

Outsourcing Cleaning Staff

Outsourcing

Cleaning Staff

LJMU Management have attempted to introduce an external cleaning agency (Outsourcing) on campus to clean the Sports Centre and the Student Life Building for cleaning shifts from 9 pm to 12 midnight.

Once GMB and UNISON@LJMU heard about this they made enquiries as to why the management hasn’t requested volunteers from within the current cleaning staff. The management replied that they emailed the cleaning staff with the request but no one came forward to volunteer.

On closer investigation by GMB and UNISON@LJMU, it was discovered that the email list was out of date and didn’t contain the majority of the current cleaning staff. It did contain the names of staff members who had left LJMU, retired and even a few that we’re deceased. 

Bernie Lalkham, GMB and Andy Beech, UNISON@LJMU requested a pause on the outsourcing opportunity, while they organised several meetings across the estate with the LJMU cleaning staff. The situation was explained at the meetings and we are happy to be informing you that several volunteers have come forward to work the 9 pm to 12 midnight shifts on a trial basis.

This attempt to introduce outsourcing into LJMU, was only intervened by GMB and UNISON@LJMU, due to communications from members. This yet again proves that the strength and reach of the branch membership is vital to the success of the work that the branch can perform.

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