2% breakthrough in HE pay talks

Higher education unions have secured a 2% pay offer for 2014/15 with a minimum rate equivalent to the living wage in negotiations with Universities and Colleges Employers Association. This follows a long running national dispute against pay restraint in the higher education sector which included three days of national strike action in recent months by UNISON, UCU, Unite and Scottish academics union EIS. Unions will now consult on the offer which marks a turning point after five years of falling wage levels:
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-5812-College-bosses-budge-at-last-with-2-pay-offer#.U1GMclpwbIU
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/he-employers-offer-2pc-and-living-wage

Consultation on next steps in HE pay dispute

#UNHE14 Yesterday the UNISON higher education conference decided to consult branches on next steps in the long running joint union 2013 pay dispute before committing to further strike action. Following three days of joint union national strike action and selective walk outs by academics union UCU, a commitment has been secured from the employers to enter into exploratory talks on the 2014/15 pay round. These talks offer the potential for a breakthrough pay settlement which will address staff grievances about low earnings in the sector. If not, further action will be necessary including a possible UCU marking boycott in April:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26294120

HE workers dig in for pay justice‏

#fairpayinHE Yesterday members of UNISON, EIS, UCU and Unite took a third full day of national industrial action across the UK in the long running pay dispute with the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA). Despite the inevitable difficulties associated with sustaining a pay dispute against an intransigent employer, early reports confirm that a vast majority of HE workers responded to the strike call:
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/he-members-take-third-strike-day
Sign the petition to support the action: http://www.fairpayinhe.org.uk/sign-here/

HE pay dispute – branches build for strike action on 6 February

Following two well supported joint union strike days on 31 October and 7 December last year, UNISON’s members employed in Universities across the UK will be talking national industrial action on 6 February. Alongside colleagues from UCU and the EIS in Scotland staff will walk out in support of a pay rise for 2013/14 at least equivalent to the rate of inflation (RPI). A derisory 1% offer has been on the table since last May. This week many UNISON branches are organising protest actions to build membership support and momentum for the planned strike action:
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/higher-education-workers-to-walk-out-for-third-day-over-pay
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/join-our-events-for-fair-pay-in-higher-education

Time for HE employers to end double standards & pay up

UNISON members employed in the UK’s universities are continuing with an industrial action campaign to improve a lousy 1% pay offer in the 2013/14 pay round. Alongside UCU and Unite members, two days of strike action were staged late last year with further action planned for February. A key argument put forward by the HE unions is the affordability of the joint union claim for a pay rise which at least matches the rate of inflation. The hypocrisy of the HE employers is revealed in stark relief by an Independent report of a survey showing that the ‘Russell Group universities - which represents 24 of the most selective higher education institutions in the country - awarded pay rises of 8.1 per cent on average to their Vice-Chancellors while overall benefits packages also soared by 5.2 per cent’
http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/university-chiefs-under-fire-for-huge-pay-rises-after-tuition-fee-hikes-9034893.html

Markets a destructive force in higher education

'The marketisation of higher education is still in its infancy but already its effects are pervasive in so many ways. Many staff report grave concern about the future of higher education. A commonly held belief is that our world-leading system is steadily being turned into a “sausage factory” of graduates’ writes Sally Hunt General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU). The current national pay dispute involving UCU, UNISON and Unite has highlighted growing pay inequalities in the sector with an exponential grow in executive pay in contrast with declining real earnings for academics and support staff:
http://classonline.org.uk/blog/item/the-marketisation-of-education-is-destroying-our-universities

Stepping up the campaign for pay justice in UK Universities

Following last week's successful second day of national strike action by higher education unions, UNISON has pledged to step up the campaign for an improve pay offer from UCEA, the universities and colleges employers association. Meeting on Friday the union's service group executive pledged to build the pay campaign and engage with members to highlight inequality and low pay throughout January leading to further strike action with UCU and Unite in February:
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/articles/higher-education-executive-considers-the-way-forward

Liverpool University support staff strike against cuts to T’s & C’s

Hard on the heels of yesterday’s higher education national pay strike, support staff members of UNISON and Unite at Liverpool University are today taking a second day of strike action in opposition to imposed cuts in rates of pay for working weekends, nights, open days etc. Services affected include services such as catering, cleaning and building management:
http://www.unisonnw.org/supportlivustaff

All together now - back today's pay strike in UK Universities

#fairpayinHE Members of UCU, UNISON and Unite across higher education are today staging a second day of national strike action in support of an improved pay offer from the University employers. The 1% offer continues a five year trend of below inflation pay rises which has resulted in a loss of pay between £663 and £3,574 from base earnings. Lunchtime rallies about held across the UK - details here:
http://fairpay.web.ucu.org.uk/2013/11/29/what-ucu-members-should-do-on-strike-day/#events

Rapid expansion of ‘for profit’ colleges in UK higher education

‘In its determination to deregulate higher education and create a level playing field for profit-making companies, the government has allowed an £80m tide of taxpayers' money to wash into unaccountable private colleges offering HNDs and HNCs’ writes Sally Hunt UCU General Secretary about the relentless incursion of ‘for profit’ private companies into UK higher education:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/20/private-colleges-monster-student-loans

Jam tomorrow is not enough – Britain needs a pay rise

Yesterday it was announced that the higher education unions, UCU, UNISON and Unite, will stage a second day of national strike action on 3 December in support of a pay claim which ‘at least matches the rate of inflation’ (RPI currently stands at 2.6%). The cash rich University employers have offered a derisory 1%. Support came from an unexpected quarter yesterday. The Independent reports that New Labour social mobility Tsar Alan Milburn said Labour’s pledge to freeze energy prices and the Coalition’s proposal to create more competition in the industry would not solve the fundamental problem in the economy – that wages have stagnated. “The cost of living crisis is as much a problem of falling earnings as it is of rising price”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/economic-success-could-be-social-failure-unless-it-raises-earnings-and-living-standards-for-ordinary-people-says-alan-milburn-8937755.html

Historic pay strike as HE workers say enough is enough

After 5 years of pay restraint workers in Britain’s universities have suffered a cumulative cut in real earnings of more than 13%. Over the same period the pay of the self enriching management elite has increased exponentially with a majority of Vice Chancellors receiving pay and benefits packages in excess of £242,000 per year. Universities are sitting on a cash mountain of £2bn reserves so the modest joint union claim of a pay rise matching inflation (currently 2.7%) is clearly affordable. No surprise then that UCU, UNISON and Unite received strong mandates for industrial action in recent co-ordinated ballots leading to today’s first joint pay strike since single table bargaining was introduced in the higher education sector. Check out the UNISON website for details of lunchtime rallies:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24726743

UCU, UNISON and Unite call HE pay strike for 31 October - mobilise to end pay restraint

Industrial action ballots in UCU, UNISON and Unite have all resulted in votes for strike action in higher education following the overwhelming rejection of a 1% pay offer from University employers. UNISON's HE service group executive meeting on Monday endorsed strike action and, following approval by the NEC's Industrial Action Committee, it has been confirmed that a united day of strike action will be held on Thursday 31 October 2013:
https://www.unison.org.uk/news/university-strike-date-announced

UNISON members in HE back strike action to defeat pay freeze!

Yesterday UNISON announced the result of a UK wide industrial action ballot in higher education (HE) and 54.4% of members voted in favour of taking strike action against the 1% pay offer for 2013/14 from the employers' representatives UCEA. The service group executive will meet next Monday to consider next steps in the pay campaign with the ballot result of the UCU lecturers (which closes on 10 October) likely to be influential in the discussion. Last year UNISON members voted for action by a smaller majority (50.3%) but the UCU ballot went down.
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/higher-education-ballot-result

Higher Education pay strike ballot underway

This week ballot papers are being despatched to UNISON members working in Britain's universities following rejection of a 1% offer. Lecturers union UCU will also be balloting in a dispute which presents an opportunity to launch a long overdue UNISON industrial challenge to the Con Dem pay freeze. The ballot closes on 8 October:
http://www.unison.org.uk/at-work/education-services/key-issues/higher-education-pay-ballot-2013/home/

UNISON in HE calls on members to reject 1%

UNISON members in Higher Education are being consulted on a derisory 1% pay offer from the employers' representatives UCEA. The service group executive is recommending rejection of the offer which is one third of the current Retail Prices Index (RPI). UNISON will be looking to build on last year's narrow vote in favour of industrial action (50.3%) - which didn't lead to a pay strike because other HE unions failed to secure yes votes in ballots:
http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=3063

Proposed University privatisation in Lancashire is a dangerous precedent

Denise Ward, chair of UNISON higher education service group, has warned that proposals from senior management at the University of Central Lancashire to become a company limited by guarantee would ‘have a devastating impact on the local economy, access to education, academic provision, the student experience and staff morale’:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=422623&c=1#commentForm

Pay battle underway in Higher Education

UNISON is gearing up for a UK wide ballot 45,000 members in higher education, including registrars, cleaners, cooks, administration and security staff, following rejection by the HE unions of a 1% offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers. The UNISON ballot will open on 12 September alongside industrial action ballots of UCU, EIS and Unite members:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=420963&c=1

UNISON's LGPS Ballot - Questions of Democracy and Leadership

UNISONActive has endorsed the democratic process of the union in relation to the ballot on the LGPS proposals for England and Wales, particularly in regard to the Local Government Service Group. This was not a process imposed on the union by officials. It was the decision of the local government conference.

Where Has Democracy Gone in UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group?

Following on from the decision of UNISON’s Local Government SGE to recommend members accept the LGPS 2014 proposals, news coming out of the Higher Education SGE meeting, also held today, should be of note to all with an interest in union democracy.