HE pay and salaries

UCU negotiates nationally with the employers' body, the Universities and Colleges Employers' Association (UCEA) over pay and conditions for academic and research staff, and, in pre-1992 institutions, for academic-related staff. These negotiations take place within the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES).

2012 national claim

UCU's Higher Education Committee agreed the principles of the UCU national claim for 2012-13. In relation to pay, this will be based around the need to address the real terms pay cut endured by members over the last two years and reflect further projected increases in the cost of living over the next year.

These principles will form the basis of the UCU input into the forthcoming discussions with the other HE unions to form a join trade union side claim.

2011 national pay negotiations

In line with HE Sector Conference policy, over the summer months in 2011 members voted in a consultative ballot with regards to the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) final offer. The result of that ballot, communicated in September, was a 57.3% to 42.7% in favour of accepting the final offer. At that time, the UCU position was verbally communicated to UCEA.

During October and November 2011 the results of the other unions consultations were mixed; EIS voted to accept, Unison, Unite and GMB rejected and invoked the New JNCHES dispute resolution procedure and a series of meetings then took place. Unite also balloted for industrial action and began action short of a strike during November. However as of 5 January the disputes involving Unison, GMB and Unite were concluded. The UCEA final offer remains unchanged.

Michael MacNeil, UCU National Head of HE, wrote to UCEA on 6 January formally confirming the UCU position.

It is excepted that members will receive the £150 consolidated increase, back dated to August 2011 in January salaries.

Consultative ballot result

The result of the consultative e-ballot held to determine the union's next steps in response to the HE employers' pay offer for 2011-12 was as follows:

• 'I wish to accept the offer': 12,388 (57.3%)
• 'I wish to reject the offer and for UCU to ballot members for industrial action': 9,214 (42.7%)

The Higher Education Committee subsequently noted that members had voted reluctantly to accept UCEA's full and final offer

2010 national negotiations

For 2010-11 pay rates for non-clinical staff covered by HE national agreements will be increased from 1 August 2010 by 0.4%.

Post-92 HEIs retaining separate London weightings are recommended to increase these on average by the same percentage uplift.

If an HEI is in serious financial difficulty it may defer implementation of the above increase by up to 11 months in order to minimise job losses.

Other issues included in the 2010-11 settlement included agreement to complete the work programmes and take forward the various agreed initiatives of the New JNCHES working groups which include the:

• equality working group and
• pay framework & data research working group, and
• sustainability issues working group.

(see 'JNCHES working groups' below)

It was also agreed to establish a forum for staff development in higher education for trade unions, HEI representatives and other relevant agencies, in order to share information and knowledge to assist HEIs and staff in maximising the opportunities and benefits of training, development and apprenticeships.

Read the full detail of the 2010-11 offer in UCUHE82, attachment 1 (.pdf).

JNCHES working groups

Following on from the unsatisfactory conclusion of the 2009-10 New JNCHES national claim negotiations, UCEA and the national trade union side agreed to establish 3 working groups that would potentially enable a greater degree of joint working to take place on key elements of the joint trade union claim; job security, equality issues and fair pay.

The following groups were set up and involved both UCEA/employer representatives and representatives from the HE trade unions:

• Equality Working Group
• Pay Framework and Data Research Working Group
• Sustainability Issues Working Group

The work of these groups was undertaken during 2010 and the final reports for two of the groups, Equalities and Pay Framework and Data are now available. Further work however continues to be undertaken in respect of the Sustainability Issues group.

The UCU experience of participating in the groups varied. Of the reports emanating from the 3 working-groups, we have only endorsed that coming out of the Equality Working Group. The report can be downloaded here:  Equality Working Group Overview Report, Jan 11 (.pdf) [2.2Mb]

In relation to the Pay Framework and Data Research Working Group, the UCU view is that the group was unable to fulfil its terms of reference mandate, and we were unable to endorse its work. A report has therefore been published without the UCU badge.

In relation to the Sustainability Issues Working Group, the UCU position is that the group has disappointingly failed to achieve key aspects of its terms of reference, specifically in the context of workforce planning and organisational change and shared values. We are unable to support the HE financial health and sustainability report that has emerged from the group as it is incomplete and has, from a UCU perspective, problematic financial data representation. This document has not therefore been circulated under the New JNCHES badge.

An insiders guide to finance was also produced to aid negotiators from the employer and employees side. This is a useful tool, which we have therefore endorsed. The guide can be downloaded here:  An Insider’s Guide to Finance and Accounting in Higher Education (.pdf) [1.6Mb]

2009 pay and national bargaining

Negotiations reluctantly concluded by the unions

Whilst condemning the refusal of the employers to negotiate on arrangements for the avoidance of redundancies and the unacceptable offer of a 0.5% pay rise the UCU's Higher Education Committee have however noted that the 2009 national negotiating round has concluded. GMB, Unite and Unison have all now reluctantly accepted the employers' final offer and EIS have noted it.

UCEA have now issued the final offer as the New JNCHES pay agreement 2009/2010 although they have recognised that UCU (and EIS) have not formally accepted the offer.

UCEA are therefore advising their members to implement the 0.5% pay increase with effect from August 2009. They have also advised that they will be taking steps, with the trade unions, to set in place the three working groups referred to in the document.

No further action is required by branches/LAs.

MORE: HE national negotiations 2009

2006-09 pay agreement

UCU members in higher education accepted a pay offer from the employers for 2006-09. The deal saw increased salaries for academic and related staff of 10.37% over the first two years. The third year of the pay deal provided a minimum 2.5% increase, or the official RPI figure for September 2008, whichever was larger. The official figure for RPI was announced as 5.0%.

Key background

Single pay spine

Prior to 2004 there were a number of different pay grading structures within UK HE. In 2004 UCU members - then as AUT and NATFHE - accepted a significant new agreement - 'The Framework Agreement for the modernisation of pay structures'. This led to higher education salary arrangements undergoing major change and individual universities have been required to implement new pay and grading arrangements mapped to a national single pay spine, effective from no later than 1 August 2006.

• Deal reached in university pay talks

The national single pay spine, on which local grading arrangements will now be based, is negotiated by the academic sub-committee of JNCHES. UCU, as the largest UK union for academic and academic-related staff, is the majority union on this sub-committee.

Negotiating structures review

Arrangements for the negotiating structure have recently been revised. See HE negotiating structures review 2008 for further information.

Pay framework implementation

Many positive local agreements have now been successfully concluded by local negotiators working alongside our head office HE team and regional offices. However, a few have yet to be agreed. In exceptional circumstances, where universities are attempting to bypass the national agreement, full resources are being channelled to provide support for our members on the ground.

Further detailed information on the pay framework is available here

UCU and HE pay

Negotiating nationally on your behalf

The over-arching Joint National Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) deals with matters common to the academic sub-committee and another, non-academic, group. 

As well as representing you in salary negotiations, we also represent members' pensions interests through member trustees on the Universities Superannuation Scheme and Teachers' Pension Scheme. See the pensions section for more on our pensions work.

Keeping you informed

UCU works hard to make sure members are kept fully informed about developments in HE pay and grading arrangements. In this website section you will find the latest information on all of our work under JNCHES, including grading arrangements and work towards equal pay.

We also run email lists, and send out briefings and letters to members to communicate directly any important information members need to know. Contact head of campaigns Justine Stephens for further information.

Collective strength

One of the benefits of membership of UCU is the collective strength it gives us in pay, as well as other negotiations. This is even more important now that additional negotiating work within higher education has been devolved down to branches and local associations.

If you are not a UCU member, make sure you join us today and further strengthen our negotiating position.