11 January 2006

HE talks fail – industrial action likely

The UK higher education sector looks increasingly likely to face widespread disruption after the university employers this afternoon (Tuesday) failed to offer the higher education unions an acceptable offer during talks on staff pay.

The unions representing university academics and academic related staff – the Association of University Teachers (AUT), the lecturers’ union, NATFHE, and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) - today submitted their joint pay claim to the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA).

The AUT has already entered into a dispute with the employers and will now be balloting its members over industrial action and following the meeting NATFHE declared a dispute with the employers due to their failure to deliver a decent offer. EIS is now going back to its members to consult on next steps, but has warned it is highly likely to ballot for strike action.

Although plans are being drawn up for ballots on industrial action the unions remain hopeful that disruptive action can still be avoided, with further talks scheduled for next month.

The pay claim centres around promises from university vice-chancellors to use extra money they will receive from top-up fees and government grants to sort out staff pay. The unions are angry that promises to "act on pay when we get extra funding" from the employers have not been kept. When lobbying for top-up fees vice-chancellors also promised the then higher education minister, Alan Johnson, that a substantial proportion of the new money would be spent on staff pay.

Academic salaries have declined by 40 per cent in the last 20 years compared with average earnings and the unions' pay demand is in line with the pay levels recommended by the Bett inquiry into university pay. The unions say that previous money earmarked for pay modernisation has largely disappeared into university bureaucracy and top-up fee income must not go the same way.

NATFHE general secretary, Paul Mackney, said:

'The employers, regrettably, were unable to come up with a figure at all today or any good reason for us not to proceed with a ballot, so we will start our dispute procedure. Academic pay has fallen 40% behind the pay of equivalent professionals. Excuses about funding can no longer be given any credibility - the money exists, the claim is costed. It’s not just academics - many non-academic staff in universities are also badly paid.

'Disruption would be regrettable but the claim is not only justified, it is essential - there is a need to protect the quality of our university system and the student experience. There is a window of opportunity to resolve the issue but employers need to put forward positive proposals as soon as possible.'

AUT general secretary, Sally Hunt, said:

'I am really disappointed that the employers have not taken today’s opportunity to prove all the cynics wrong. This was their chance to demonstrate that decades of telling us they wanted to pay staff more, but couldn’t because of a lack of money, were not just empty promises and they have blown it.

'The money to pay the staff is there and I remain hopeful that the widespread disruption our action will cause, in particular to students’ studies, can be avoided. However, the employers must come back to the table prepared to honour their previous commitments to avoid industrial action.'

EIS lead negotiator, Marian Healy, said:

'EIS representatives will report the tone and outcome of the meeting to the national executive and we are unlikely to demur from a ballot process. Employers should be under no illusion that EIS is highly likely to commence a ballot. It is to be hoped there will be scope for meetings during the balloting period.'

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