Birmingham University strikes cancelled as low-paid workers secure pay increase

Cleaners, caterers and security guards at Birmingham University are celebrating after securing a pay rise following a series of campus strikes, UNISON announced today (Friday). Three days of strikes planned for Thursday 28 and Friday 29 of November and 2 December have been cancelled. The decision follows staff voting to accept a pay offer of more than 4% for the lowest paid workers and 3% for the highest. Low-paid staff will receive an extra £817 a year with their hourly rate rising by 44p to £9.44. The increase will be backdated to 1 August 2019. The university pay offer exceeds the below inflation 2% increase managers imposed on support staff last year, which originally sparked the dispute, says UNISON. Speaking about the settlement UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “At last university managers have recognised that staff deserve a decent pay rise and that 2% was not a fair offer. “It’s a shame workers had to strike to get their voices heard. We hope we can work with the university to improve the pay and prospects of all staff over the longer term. “The award should also send a powerful message to the University and Colleges Employers Association that they need to make a decent pay offer to staff across the country.” Notes to editors: – In 2018 most staff received a 2% increase while the retail price index (RPI) was at 2.8% meaning staff faced a real-terms pay cut. The strike action continued into the period normally allotted for the next ye...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release fair pay Jon Richards Source Type: news