Higher education employers make ‘disappointing’ final offer

The joint higher education trade unions have expressed “disappointment” today, after the employers made a final offer of just 1.5% for staff in the sector for the year 2021-2022, which begins for the workforce on 1 August. The unions met the employers, Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), at the third and final pay negotiation meeting for the pay settlement yesterday. At the first meeting in March, the employers made an opening offer that equated to 1.1% of the pay bill, which didn’t meet any of the key elements of the joint unions’ pay claim. Having rejected the opening offer, the joint unions pushed hard for a meaningful and decent pay settlement for all working in universities. The employers’ final offer is for a 1.5% pay rise for most pay points, with higher percentage increases for those on lower pay points. It would mean that the lowest pay point, for those working at 35-hour week, would be the same as the current foundation living wage rate. It comes after a year when members have experienced a pay freeze while working harder than ever in very difficult circumstances. In relation to the pay-related elements of the claim, the employers indicated that they would be willing to work on reviewing pay compression on the national pay spine, work to close pay gaps related to gender, ethnicity and intersectional approach, workload and the impact of COVID. UNISON senior national officer Ruth Levin said: “The joint unions expressed their disappo...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News higher education Source Type: news