University staff deserve fair pay, says Angela Rayner

Angela Rayner speaking at UNISON conference The hard work and dedication of staff are key to higher education, but those same workers face falling pay, rising workloads and increasingly insecure employment, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner says in a message to UNISON workers who are currently voting on industrial action to win better pay. She called for a return to unconditional talks, with help from ACAS if necessary, for as long as it takes to reach an agreement. University support staff who are members of UNISON are currently voting in a nationwide industrial action ballot, which ends on 30 October (or 5 November in Northern Ireland). UNISON is urging all members in higher education to vote and make their voice heard in the next two weeks. In an earlier consultation, members rejected an employers’ offer that would see most staff get a pay rise of just 1.8%, in response to a claim for an increase of 3% or £3,349, whichever was higher. Ms Rayner’s message said: “The success of our higher education sector is built on the hard work and dedication of thousands of staff. Ensuring that we can continue to attract talented people to work in our universities and deliver education for the public good is crucially important. “I am deeply concerned that a combination of falling pay, rising workloads and increasingly insecure employment is making a career in higher education less sustainable. ‘“All staff in our universities deserve fair pay, a secure contract,...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article education services he HE pay ballot HE pay strike ballot higher education higher education pay Industrial action universities Source Type: news