Higher education employers made a final offer in response to the join unions’ pay claim at the final negotiating meeting yesterday.
UNISON will consider its response and how to consult branches when the higher education service group meets on 7 May.
The new offer is for a pay rise of between 3.65% and 1.82% for staff on pay spine points 3 to 16 (£22,017 a year), and 1.8% for those on points 17 and above. The offer also includes deleting the lowest pay band – point 2. This will mean that the lowest rate of pay will be £9.17 per hour for those on a 35-hour week. The current living wage rate, set by the Living Wage Foundation, is £9 per hour.
However, the joint unions made it clear that while the offer is an improvement on the employers’ previous one, they are disappointed that it falls far below the unions’ claim.
Previous story: University employers improve offer at latest pay talks (12 April 2019)
Download the employers’ pay offer
Download the joint union pay claim