"The shortfall of teaching funding has badly hit the salaries of academic staff, which have shown practically no increase in real terms over two decades."
Tony Blair, speaking to Universities UK, 14 January 2004

Latest offer – virtually no change

The university employers (UCEA) yesterday tabled what they describe as their "final" pay offer.

It represents almost no change in the offer made on 8 May, which all unions rejected.

The offer is as follows:

Pay increases

Aug 06: greater of 3% or £515
Feb 07: 1%
Aug 07: 3%
May 08: greater of 3% or £400
Oct 08: 2.5%

The effect on pay rates is as follows

2006-2007: +4.03%
2007-2008: +10.37%
2008-2009: +13.12%

It is worth 13.1% on pay scales over three years instead of  the 12.6% in the previous 8 May offer. It is worth much less than 13.1% in cash terms during that three year period, of course.

Other elements

There was also an offer of a review of pay and income data to inform pay negotiations in 2009 - that after the current three year offer period.

HEIs retain separate London weighting(s) to be recommended to increase - on average - by the same % uplifts.

Additional flat rate payments will be paid to lower paid staff but none of these payments will affect academic staff.

Further conditions

Employers also sought again agreement that institutions in serious financial difficulty can defer implementation by up to 11 months. They also sought agreement to uprate old scales on the same basis for 2006-2007 only.

The employers insisted that a precondition of even this offer was that we agree to immediately suspend industrial  action and put this offer to members.

NATFHE  and AUT negotiators at the meeting regarded  the offer as unacceptable. NATFHE negotiators are currently consulting with our higher education committee members today, recommending it be rejected.  

More details will be sent to branches and members later today.

The 1 June demonstration (see below) will continue.

Press release

Thursday 1 June - London lobby of UCEA

Details of the lobby are as follows:

Assemble 12.30, Keyworth Street, South Bank University. 1pm start.
Route: Blackfriars Rd over Blackfriars Bridge, Newbridge St, Farringdon St, Charterhouse St, High Holborn, (past Holborn tube at approx 1.45pm) Southampton Row, Woburn Place, Tavistock Square at 2pm.

Urgent queries regarding coach drop off/pick up etc should go to: [email protected].

Members are asked to note that this is not a day of strike action. Duties other than those covered by ASOS should be carried out as normal.

Posters mounted on light card have been sent to branches.

Lecturers shocked by pay offer delay

NATFHE today (26 May) expressed astonishment and anger after university employers failed to make a further formal offer after two-and-a-half days of intensive negotiations.

Talks continue

Negotiations between NATFHE, AUT and UCEA will resume today (26 May).

The two unions and the employers' body UCEA spent all yesterday in talks under the auspices of arbitration service ACAS aimed at resolving the current pay dispute following on from an earlier meeting held on Tuesday this week.

Employers rebuked by select committee

The Education and Skills Select Committee met this morning to hear Geoffrey Copland, vice chancellor of the University of Westminster and chair of UCEA and Jocelyn Prudence, UCEA's chief executive. The pair were summoned to address the committee to explain the comments which they published in a press release after the select committee meeting on 17 May which took evidence on the HE pay dispute.

UCEA had claimed that MPs had urged unions to ballot on the pay offer, which was false. Select committee chair Barry Sheerman MP issued an immediate denial and said of UCEA's statement: "It's the opposite of the truth and this is a real breach of trust. I don't see how anyone can trust an organisation that would do that."

You can listen to Jocelyn Prudence's unreserved apology here; click on 'Listen from start' for HoC Education and Skills Committee.

Northumbria university: pay docking

Northumbria University has stepped back from its decision to make immediate deductions of 100% of pay from hundreds of lecturers belonging to the lecturers' union NATFHE. At a mass meeting today, NATFHE members endorsed an agreement reached between the union and the university that includes the withdrawal of the draconian deductions affecting NATFHE members.

The decision by the university, which NATFHE has welcomed as a constructive change of heart, follows the decision by Northumbria lecturers to launch an all out strike tomorrow in response to the deductions.

A demonstration called for 1 June in Newcastle in solidarity with the Northumbria lecturers will now be turned into a national demonstration in London against all deductions being made against NATFHE and AUT members.

ACAS talks 23 May

NATFHE has agreed to attend talks with the higher education employers on Tuesday 23 May convened by ACAS - the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

University employers must think again

Employers have misjudged the mood

The assessment boycott is having a serious impact in most institutions and media interest is soaring (with a helpful editorial in today’s Guardian). 88.91% of undergraduate marks are missing says a report to University of Wales Institute Cardiff's academic board; dramatic effects like this are widespread.

Reviewing branch reports of action at a meeting on 18 May, NATFHE’s higher education committee heard that where management have threatened or made deductions members’ attitudes have hardened. Whilst members want an early settlement there’s consensus that VCs have seriously misjudged the mood.

Employers are meeting today but it’s unclear whether a new offer will emerge. Watch out for news here.

Universal outrage at pay deductions for the rejection of pay awards far less than vice-chancellors’ increases is the order of the day. At Northumbria, Bournemouth, and Oxford Brookes NATFHE has warned that crude tactics will irrevocably sabotage professional relationships and goodwill in the longer term. 100% pay deduction for the temporary non-performance of a relatively small part of contractual duties is disproportionate and inflammatory. NATFHE has warned Oxford Brookes, whose 100% deduction threat is combined with proposed imposition of a local pay award, of potential legal action.

Media digest
Action reports

Balloting on current offer will delay a settlement

It would be pointless putting the current offer out to ballot as it falls so short of members’ aspirations, NATFHE’s higher education committee has agreed. As Roger Kline explained to MPs on the education select committee this week, a ballot leading to rejection would simply delay any further offer from the employers.

Academic boycott warning

NATFHE will call for international academic boycotts in the event of 100% pay deductions, and first in line is Northumbria University where 100% pay deductions have already been imposed on members in the faculty of law, more are threatened, and all-out strike action is on the cards.

Support the fund to help your colleagues

NATFHE has launched a national voluntary levy (£50 contributions proposed), aimed at supporting members facing substantial potential financial hardship because of punitive deductions. The union has a Permanent Sustentation Fund for this purpose. However while the fund is strong at the moment, the union is concerned that if employers prolong the dispute, the monies may run short.

Cheques should be sent direct to your branch secretary not to head office.

For information on accessing hardship payments, contact your branch.

Letter to members
Fund contribution form

Select Committee chair slams employers' version of events

Select Committee chair Barry Sheerman was 'hopping mad' with employers for suggesting that members of the committee had called on the unions to ballot their members on the latest pay offer, according to a BBC report.

After the meeting referred to below the employers said members of the committee had called on the unions to ballot their members on the latest three-year pay offer of 12.6%. Committee chair Barry Sheerman said this was 'absolutely the opposite of the truth', adding: 'I'm hopping mad....I don't see how anyone can trust an organisation that would do that.'

Shortly afterwards UCEA retracted their statement and issued a new one.

Barry Sheerman said one member of the committee had asked union representatives why they had not put the employers' offer to their members in a ballot. And the unions had explained they felt this would waste time when they knew what the outcome would be. Mr Sheerman said the committee had invited in both sides to articulate their concerns. 'We were trying to air issues and perhaps get a dialogue going.'

Read the BBC report in full
Watch the proceedings

Education and Skills Select Committee

AUT conference gives resounding support to pay campaign

AUT conference delegates at their Annual Council have unanimously endorsed the current pay campaign. Delegates voted unanimously to reject the current offer as falling well short of the claim, and to reject any attempt to introduce local bargaining. Delegates also voted unanimously to reject all attempts at deductions and make restitution a condition of a settlement.

Conference heard from a Newcastle University AUT delegate who said he had just taken a call from his wife who had been told she would have 100% of her pay deducted and that this symbolised the common interest of the two unions.

EIS declare dispute and will ballot on action

Following the most recent pay negotiations, the Educational Institute of Scotland Executive decided to declare a dispute and to seek permission from the EIS Executive Committee for an immediate industrial ballot on action short of a strike.

Roger Kline, head of higher education, equality and employment rights at NATFHE said: ‘I welcome the decision of EIS. This is further evidence that the pay offer is way below what is needed and that momentum is building in support of the pay campaign’.

EIS statement (PDF file)