Higher education employers have made a “full and final” pay offer of 2%, with a minimum pay point equal to the living wage, following pay talks with the unions.
UNISON’s higher education service group executive will meet on 23 April to discuss the consultation with members on the 2014/15 offer and the dispute over 2013/14 pay.
“This offer represents a significant shift from recent offers by the higher education employers,” said national secretary Jon Richards.
“It also recognises low pay and the living wage, which is an important benchmark for UNISON.
“This adds an important new item to add to our consultation of branches and members on the way forward in our continuing campaign for fair pay for HE staff.”
The details of the offer are:
Pay
Pay rates for all staff covered by the higher education national agreement would be increased from 1 August 2014 by 2%.
Point 1 of the pay spine would also be increased by a further £30. This would bring point 1 to the current rate of the living wage (£7.65) in those higher education institutions that have a 35-hour working week, which equates to an increase of 2.2%.
London weighting – Post 92 higher education institutions that pay London weighting in line with the national agreement are recommended to increase these by 2%.
Pre 92 higher education institutions are not subject to national negotiations on London weighting. UNISON centre will have discussions with the unions’s Greater London region about this.
The national employers and unions will conduct joint work to look at the use of the bottom pay points, variance in weekly hours and hourly equivalent rates used by universities.
This will enable both sides to assess the use and usefulness of, in particular point 1 of the 51-point pay spine. This will inform discussions on pay for 2015/16.
Pay-related equality matters
The employers and trade unions remain committed to exploring the pay equality-related elements of the trade unions’ claim at the remaining negotiating meetings for 2014-15. The next meeting will take place on 24 April.
The final offer is based on the following understandings:
- that it would settle the pay negotiations for 2014/15;
- that it would draw a line under the 2013/14 negotiating round and dispute.