We all know the well rehearsed arguments: in the face of declining student numbers, political uncertainty, Brexit and the unknown future of tuition income, universities say it is inevitable that jobs must be lost. And through 2019 we saw one after the other HE institute introduce voluntary severance schemes, reorganisations and redundancies, reductions in hours […]
Conference motions
Conference Notes: 1)The far-right are attempting to take their message of racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism onto university and college campuses. 2)The far-right group ‘Generation Identity’ have appeared on over 20 campuses, holding stunts and meetings. 3)Turning Point UK, a group with links to the alt-right in the US, have attempted to set up student societies […]
A Government consultation took place between May and July 2019 on changes to reform the Local Government Pension Scheme in England. The proposed changes would give higher education institutions, further education colleges and sixth form colleges the flexibility to not have to offer the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) to new staff. UNISON’s HESGE led […]
Conference notes that although the report of the Review of Post 18 Education and Funding in England falls far short of UNISON’s policies on the future of Higher Education (HE) it cannot be ignored. Even in a period of political uncertainty and ministerial changes in government, its analysis and recommendations are likely to continue to […]
2019 marks ten years of the erosion in real terms, take home pay, the pay of the majority of Higher Education support staff. If pay had risen in line with the cost of living, then each pound that university support staff earn in 2019/20, would be worth twenty one pence more than it actually is. […]
This conference will likely agree our union’s approach to pay negotiations for the coming year. Whatever the finer detail of our pay claim, if we are to be effective in making our demands, we need to place ordinary UNISON members and Higher Education workers at the centre of our campaign. From the very start of […]
Conference recognises that there is a commonality in the Scottish Higher Education system which has now been acknowledged by the Scottish Trade Unions (STUC), National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland and Universities Scotland with the creation of a forum where representatives from all three bodies meet to discuss issues of common interest. Scottish Higher Education […]
Conference notes that there is a lot of money to be made out of Higher Education – just look at the expansion of obscenely high salaries for our Vice-Chancellors and executive managers, and the large reserves held by many universities. If you’re a cleaner, caterer, or receptionist however, you don’t get a fair share of […]
Conference celebrates UNISON’s work over the past 25 years to promote women’s equality and participation and to tackle sexism and sex discrimination at work, in our union and across society. Like other service groups, the Higher Education Service Group Executive (HESGE) has a majority of women members and our rules and practices to encourage women’s […]
The continuing erosion of the pay of higher education support staff is a stain on the sector and flies in the face of assurances by employers that they value their workers. It is scandalous that the Government’s national living wage is approaching the bottom of the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) pay […]
It is a matter of public concern that as a result of the Education Act 2011 in the UK Parliament, we have witnessed the acceleration of the programme to convert local authority primary and secondary schools into academies. The failings of the academy project have been widely reported and at times have scandalised the notion […]
Conference is aware of the increasing need to support members who are experiencing either short or long-term mental health conditions. Despite the good work already being done by branches in enacting conference policies – such as encouraging employers to sign up to Time to Change, or become Mindful employers – there is a great deal […]
Higher education as a public service has been and is increasingly under threat from profit-driven vultures encouraged by an ideological obsession that dictates that private interests should always triumph over common ownership and cooperation. Attempts by the current and previous governments to introduce market forces and competition into the public services is nothing new to […]
Conference notes that outsourcing in universities and higher education institutions is on the rise. While some see this as a money saving exercise, it is not. It is unethical, promotes bad and unfair working practices. Some research has shown that outsourcing can push up student fees, making it unfair on staff and students. The aim […]
Conference notes: 1)By the end of 2017, members in Higher Education will have lost the equivalent of one fifth of their pay since 2009/10. 2)At the same time, Senior Managers have seen their salaries consistently increase above the rate of inflation, with twenty-three Vice Chancellors taking an increase of 10% or more last year. Conference […]