UNISON urges employers to ‘eradicate poverty pay’

UNISON delegates at today’s higher education conference urged employers to “eradicate poverty pay” in their sector. They passed a detailed motion addressing a range of pay ambitions, including a new minimum, bottom spine point of £12 an hour, all universities becoming Living Wage Foundation employers, and a maximum 35-hour week for all staff. The motion outlined an “unprecedented attack on HE pay” over the past two years. Employers made no offer to their staff for the year 2020/21, and only 1.5% for the majority of staff in 2021/22 – almost all of which will be taken up by the government’s increase in national insurance payments. The increases in utilities bills and food prices means that inflation is predicted to soon exceed 4%. While staff are working harder than ever, their pay is failing to keep up. On top of that, universities continue, on average, to pay their female staff less than their male counterparts, despite equal pay legislation being in place for over 50 years. And reports show that Black staff earn less than their white counterparts. Introducing the pay motion, Mobina Begum (above), chair of the HE service group executive, told delegates: “You’ll be fully aware of the way in which our pay has eroded over recent years. We have been denied the pay awards that we need and deserve. “This motion is about making sure that the message is delivered loud and clear to the employers, that the time to act is now – employers have to sit up and take ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: Article News 2022 Higher Education Conference higher education pay Source Type: news