Higher education conference hears of ‘systemic under funding’

Delegates to UNISON’s national higher education conference in Milton Keynes last week passed a raft of motions on a range of issues – from smashing the gender pay gap in the sector, to campaigning for insourcing, to fighting for members working in student unions, to equalities.

Addressing the conference, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards (pictured above) said: “There have been funding challenges over the years and the Westminster government have shown they do not care about higher education.

“It is systemic underfunding that has seen all institutions facing financial worries and the erosion of student support has seen student poverty rates go through the roof.”

But, he concluded, “recognising there is a problem is one thing, doing something about it is another”.

For the service group executive, Joanne Tapper moved a motion on bringing outsourced services back in-house.

“So many universities continue to operate as a two-tiered workforce,” she said, “outsourcing and excluding colleagues such as cleaning staff, catering and security staff.”

Ms Tapper mentioned that many universities – including her own, University College London – continue to prioritise this agenda over a duty of welfare, dignity and respect to the very colleagues who are essential in maintaining these institutions.

Yet the importance of these roles had been highlighted even further during the pandemic.

“We deserve better and demand better,” she said. “We will stand up for each other’s rights – we will stand up for each other’s dignity”.

Also for the executive, Kath Owen moved a motion on UNISON members working in student unions.

“Student unions are fundamental to higher education, but are often overlooked,” she told delegates.

“In the last year, there have been some challenges. Post COVID, supporting students with complaints and appeals in the wake of changes to their programme; student finances, academic issues, welfare support, lobbying in universities – all work that is done by student unions.

“On the cost of living – setting up food banks, providing housing support, campaigning for better public transport, fighting to keep childcare provisions open – all work that is done by student unions.”

For the Cardiff Metropolitan University branch, Denn Yearwood spoke to the importance of securing the legacy of 2023’s Year of Black Workers in the sector.

“The future never comes quickly enough,” he said. “Change never comes quickly enough.

“We need to make a difference now, to make a difference for the future.

“We need to put our universities in a jam. We need to stop them getting away with the same old tropes… We need to grow together. We need that better future now.”

The article Higher education conference hears of ‘systemic under funding’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Higher education conference hears of ‘systemic under funding’

Delegates to UNISON’s national higher education conference in Milton Keynes last week passed a raft of motions on a range of issues – from smashing the gender pay gap in the sector, to campaigning for insourcing, to fighting for members working in student unions, to equalities.

Addressing the conference, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards (pictured above) said: “There have been funding challenges over the years and the Westminster government have shown they do not care about higher education.

“It is systemic underfunding that has seen all institutions facing financial worries and the erosion of student support has seen student poverty rates go through the roof.”

But, he concluded, “recognising there is a problem is one thing, doing something about it is another”.

For the service group executive, Joanne Tapper moved a motion on bringing outsourced services back in-house.

“So many universities continue to operate as a two-tiered workforce,” she said, “outsourcing and excluding colleagues such as cleaning staff, catering and security staff.”

Ms Tapper mentioned that many universities – including her own, University College London – continue to prioritise this agenda over a duty of welfare, dignity and respect to the very colleagues who are essential in maintaining these institutions.

Yet the importance of these roles had been highlighted even further during the pandemic.

“We deserve better and demand better,” she said. “We will stand up for each other’s rights – we will stand up for each other’s dignity”.

Also for the executive, Kath Owen moved a motion on UNISON members working in student unions.

“Student unions are fundamental to higher education, but are often overlooked,” she told delegates.

“In the last year, there have been some challenges. Post COVID, supporting students with complaints and appeals in the wake of changes to their programme; student finances, academic issues, welfare support, lobbying in universities – all work that is done by student unions.

“On the cost of living – setting up food banks, providing housing support, campaigning for better public transport, fighting to keep childcare provisions open – all work that is done by student unions.”

For the Cardiff Metropolitan University branch, Denn Yearwood spoke to the importance of securing the legacy of 2023’s Year of Black Workers in the sector.

“The future never comes quickly enough,” he said. “Change never comes quickly enough.

“We need to make a difference now, to make a difference for the future.

“We need to put our universities in a jam. We need to stop them getting away with the same old tropes… We need to grow together. We need that better future now.”

The article Higher education conference hears of ‘systemic under funding’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Autumn term strikes set to go ahead at 13 universities

The results are in for the higher education strike ballot that ran from 31 May to 31 July – and 13 higher education institutions have met the threshold for action.

The current offer from the University and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA), a 5-8% pay rise depending on salary spinal point, equates to a real-terms pay cut given inflation was over 10% this year.

Although some money was backdated to earlier this year, it’s still not enough for staff to live on with the ongoing cost of living crisis.

HE members have suffered a real-terms pay cut of around 25% over the last 14 years, due to year on year uplifts that were below inflation

The 13 universities that have met the threshold for action are: University of Dundee, University of Gloucestershire, University of the West of England, Leeds Trinity University, University of Brighton, Glasgow School of Art, Solent University, Plymouth Marjon University, Arts University Bournemouth, University of Glasgow, City University, Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Chichester.

Further details on strike action will be announced in due course.

More information is available here.

UNISON senior national officer Ruth Smith said: “Our members have spoken. It is clear that they feel very strongly about UCEA’s failure to offer them a pay rise this year which makes up for 14 years of erosion of the value of their pay.

“Jobs in higher education used to be seen as reasonably well-paid and secure. By paying tiny increases year on year for all this time, the employers, and successive governments as their funders, have turned them into poorly paid jobs, where our members struggle to make ends meet and feel like they are marginalised and under-valued.

“Our members, who include cleaners, caterers, domestic staff, security staff, library staff and administrators, are the bedrock of the higher education system that half of the nation’s young people rely on for their next step into the adult world after school.

“Our members look after those young people, and ensure they have a good experience. It is time the employers looked after our members in return, before they vote with their feet.

“UCEA have had a rocky year as a result of industrial action across the sector. Our results indicate that is going to continue to be the case as the autumn term starts off with more staff expressing their unhappiness by taking strike action, unless they come back to us with more on pay now.”

The article Autumn term strikes set to go ahead at 13 universities first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Autumn term strikes set to go ahead at 13 universities

The results are in for the higher education strike ballot that ran from 31 May to 31 July – and 13 higher education institutions have met the threshold for action.

The current offer from the University and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA), a 5-8% pay rise depending on salary spinal point, equates to a real-terms pay cut given inflation was over 10% this year.

Although some money was backdated to earlier this year, it’s still not enough for staff to live on with the ongoing cost of living crisis.

HE members have suffered a real-terms pay cut of around 25% over the last 14 years, due to year on year uplifts that were below inflation

The 13 universities that have met the threshold for action are: University of Dundee, University of Gloucestershire, University of the West of England, Leeds Trinity University, University of Brighton, Glasgow School of Art, Solent University, Plymouth Marjon University, Arts University Bournemouth, University of Glasgow, City University, Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Chichester.

Further details on strike action will be announced in due course.

More information is available here.

UNISON senior national officer Ruth Smith said: “Our members have spoken. It is clear that they feel very strongly about UCEA’s failure to offer them a pay rise this year which makes up for 14 years of erosion of the value of their pay.

“Jobs in higher education used to be seen as reasonably well-paid and secure. By paying tiny increases year on year for all this time, the employers, and successive governments as their funders, have turned them into poorly paid jobs, where our members struggle to make ends meet and feel like they are marginalised and under-valued.

“Our members, who include cleaners, caterers, domestic staff, security staff, library staff and administrators, are the bedrock of the higher education system that half of the nation’s young people rely on for their next step into the adult world after school.

“Our members look after those young people, and ensure they have a good experience. It is time the employers looked after our members in return, before they vote with their feet.

“UCEA have had a rocky year as a result of industrial action across the sector. Our results indicate that is going to continue to be the case as the autumn term starts off with more staff expressing their unhappiness by taking strike action, unless they come back to us with more on pay now.”

The article Autumn term strikes set to go ahead at 13 universities first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Movement – keeping momentum going in HE strike ballot

UNISON is balloting members for strike action in targeted universities in England over the 2023/24 pay offer. The offer is worth between 5-8% depending on spinal column point.

This year UNISON has been using a new system, Movement, to increase engagement and turnout in ballots. It allows regions, branches and activists to use phone banking, peer to peer texting and to log feedback from members by email and from in-person conversations.

From these interactions, Movement records whether a member has voted, but not which way they have voted. For example, in the HE autumn term strike ballot Movement has logged that over 1,730 members have told the union they have voted so far.

However, there is still time to increase this number. Eligible members have been sent their ballot paper in a bright green envelope to their home address. They have until 10am on 31 July to return their ballot paper by post. But it is important to send ballots back soon, to ensure they arrive in good time.

UNISON’s head of higher education Ruth Smith said: “We are now entering the critical final phase of this ballot.

“The institutions being balloted were carefully selected by the HE service group executive as the figures indicate they have a good chance of meeting the 50% turnout threshold required for strike action.

“But to meet those thresholds, now is the time for that final push to get over the line. It is vital that, by demonstrating our strength in all 28 institutions, we show the employer that UNISON is a force to be reckoned with in higher education. That is how we win a better deal for our members.”

For further information about this ballot and to check which universities are included, please visit unison.org.uk/RisingForBetterPay

Visit the organising space to access online resources to support our activists and organising communities.

If you haven’t received your ballot paper, contact the helpline on: 0800 0 857 857 (the helpline closes at 12 noon, 25 July).

The article Movement – keeping momentum going in HE strike ballot first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Movement – keeping momentum going in HE strike ballot

UNISON is balloting members for strike action in targeted universities in England over the 2023/24 pay offer. The offer is worth between 5-8% depending on spinal column point.

This year UNISON has been using a new system, Movement, to increase engagement and turnout in ballots. It allows regions, branches and activists to use phone banking, peer to peer texting and to log feedback from members by email and from in-person conversations.

From these interactions, Movement records whether a member has voted, but not which way they have voted. For example, in the HE autumn term strike ballot Movement has logged that over 1,730 members have told the union they have voted so far.

However, there is still time to increase this number. Eligible members have been sent their ballot paper in a bright green envelope to their home address. They have until 10am on 31 July to return their ballot paper by post. But it is important to send ballots back soon, to ensure they arrive in good time.

UNISON’s head of higher education Ruth Smith said: “We are now entering the critical final phase of this ballot.

“The institutions being balloted were carefully selected by the HE service group executive as the figures indicate they have a good chance of meeting the 50% turnout threshold required for strike action.

“But to meet those thresholds, now is the time for that final push to get over the line. It is vital that, by demonstrating our strength in all 28 institutions, we show the employer that UNISON is a force to be reckoned with in higher education. That is how we win a better deal for our members.”

For further information about this ballot and to check which universities are included, please visit unison.org.uk/RisingForBetterPay

Visit the organising space to access online resources to support our activists and organising communities.

If you haven’t received your ballot paper, contact the helpline on: 0800 0 857 857 (the helpline closes at 12 noon, 25 July).

The article Movement – keeping momentum going in HE strike ballot first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Still time to vote on HE pay

The higher education pay strike ballot for 2023/24 is open until 31 July, so there is still time to get the vote out.

UNISON sent out a text this week and over 700 members have said that they have voted, informing the union through the new Movement system.

HE branches are using Movement to help get out the vote, while activists are also making calls daily to increase this number. Every vote matters in getting a decent pay rise.

You can find out more by visiting the campaign webpage.

The article Still time to vote on HE pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Raise wage offer and prevent more university strikes, says UNISON

Support staff at 14 universities in England are being balloted from this week for industrial action over the “inadequate” pay offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), says UNISON today (Thursday).

Over the next five weeks, higher education workers including cleaners, IT technicians and library staff are to vote on whether to strike after the university employers put forward a wage rise that’s way below inflation, the union says.

The ballot of staff at universities in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, London, Brighton, Bristol, Winchester and Luton began on Tuesday (4 April) and continues until Tuesday 9 May.

Those taking part in the vote are the University of Bedfordshire, University of Bristol, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Sussex, University of the West of England and University of Winchester, as well as a number of University of London institutions: Birkbeck, Queen Mary, SOAS and Kings College London.

The 2023/24 pay offer falls far short of what staff deserve, says UNISON. It is worth between 5% and 8% depending on salary level, with lower paid workers getting the highest percentage rise. Some of this amount – around £83 per month before tax – began to be paid to staff in February to help staff with the increasing cost of living.

UNISON put the pay offer to higher education staff in February and their decision was to reject the amount.

UNISON head of education Mike Short said: “This is nowhere near enough. For years university support staff have received wage rises far below the cost of living.

“As bills and the cost of food continue to go through the roof, it’s essential that employers come up with much more than this inadequate sum.

“Staff are already leaving for better-paid jobs in supermarkets, warehouses and coffee shops. If universities don’t start paying more competitive wages, the sector risks a staffing crisis that would spell disaster for millions of students.”

Notes to editors:
– Details of how the 2023/24 pay offer will affect university support staff are available here.
– UNISON was in dispute with UCEA over the 2022/23 pay award and took strike action in 19 higher education institutions. This remains unresolved but as a result, UCEA offered to bring forward the start of pay negotiations for 2023-24 and pay part of this year’s wage rise early (from February).
– Talks are also ongoing between UNISON, other higher education unions and employers on a range of other issues. These include a review of salaries to better address low pay, reducing excessive workloads and the use of insecure contracts.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Raise wage offer and prevent more university strikes, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

HE strikes called off as talks move forward

As a result of progress in Acas (The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) facilitated discussions, a joint statement has been agreed and released between the UCEA (University & Colleges Employers Association) and the higher education trade unions: EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite.

The statement highlights that progress has been made in discussions around pay, but that an impasse has been reached under Acas’ new dispute procedures.

However, the employer and the unions have agreed to proceed to time-limited talks to determine the further work necessary to resolve the dispute – this will include a review of the pay spine to address issues of grade increments.

UCEA has agreed to consult its members on the issues to be discussed in the time-limited talks, as well as agreeing to consult its members with a positive recommendation to take action on zero-hour contracts.

In recognition of the employer’s stance, UNISON, along with UCU and Unite have agreed to call off industrial action which was due to occur in the weeks commencing 20 and 27 February on the basis that no pay award will be imposed by higher education institutions during that period – EIS and GMB had no action planned before that time.

Work will now continue through Acas conciliation to agree the detailed terms of reference and timescales for these substantive negotiations.

The article HE strikes called off as talks move forward first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Higher education pay dispute enters new talks

UNISON has welcomed the decision by university employers to enter negotiations to resolve disruptive strike action currently affecting 150 universities. 

UNISON and the four other higher education unions (UCU, EIS, GMB and Unite) and employer representative the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), have agreed to further talks mediated by the conciliation service Acas. 

The talks will begin on Monday 13 February.  

Acas mediated talks are intended to address the issues in dispute, which include pay, equality, job insecurity and workloads.  

The current industrial action has not been postponed. 

Senior national officer for higher education Ruth Smith said: “We are pleased the employers have agreed to enter the Acas process in order to try and resolve our dispute.

“The union has been clear, we need an offer that addresses the hardship that the current cost of living crisis has caused for our members, who are amongst the lowest paid workers in universities.

“We haven’t had that yet. The sector has more than enough money to pay and treat people fairly, and employers have the power to do so.

“Our members led the way in this dispute by going out on strike at the start of the academic year in September 2022, and are still out this week and next.

“Members don’t want to take strike action, but they have be left with no option. We hope that these new talks at Acas can help convince the employers to do the right thing and make a decent pay offer.”

UNISON members are currently out on strike in the following places:

  • Birkbeck (University of London): 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 February
  • City University (University of London): 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 February
  • Glasgow Caledonian University: 6 (all members), 7, 8, 9, 10 February (rest of week selected job titles: Security Officers, Security Supervisors, Domestic Supervisors, Domestic Assistants)
  • Glasgow School of Art: 16, 21, 22 February
  • Leeds Beckett University: 8, 9, 10 February
  • Liverpool Hope University: 16 February
  • London South Bank University: 21, 22 February
  • Manchester Met University: 6, 7, 8 February
  • Queen Margaret University: 21, 22, 23 February
  • School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London): 1, 9, 10, 21 February
  • University of Brighton: 16, 17, 20, 21 February
  • University of Bristol: 16, 17, 22 February
  • University of Gloucestershire: 14, 15, 16 February
  • University of Leeds: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 22, 23, 24 February
  • University of the West of England: 14, 15, 16 February
  • University of Winchester: 21, 22, 23 February

 

The article Higher education pay dispute enters new talks first appeared on the UNISON National site.