FE BRANCH OFFICERS UPDATE 1 July 2013

Final Pay Offer for England FE 

A third national negotiating meeting took place between the AOC and the six college unions on 25 June 2013 where employers made a  final recommended offer of a 0.7% pay increase from August this year, with a £282 increase for those earning equivalent to £14,052. 

You will recall that talks had broken down at the previous meeting when the employers withdrew a 0.5% offer in response to the trade unions refusing to agree to a statement that included the commitment at a local level to 'open and positive discussion regarding approaches to incremental pay, flexibility and working practices'.

Lengthy discussions at officer level followed this meeting which led to a revised statement with more general wording similar to that accompanying previous offers, and importantly, with the explicit reference to incremental pay and working practices removed. The trade union side therefore agreed to take back the offer below to its relevant committees and membership for consideration.

“This recommendation is made on the basis that both sides remain aware that Colleges continue to face major challenges arising from the stringent funding circumstances across Further Education and that implementation of the recommended pay award will be based on affordability at each individual College.

There is a joint understanding that a priority for Colleges is to maintain employment to sustain and continuously improve services to learners, employers and communities. Therefore both sides recognise there is a need for positive engagement in local discussions regarding the need for all staff to be responsive and proactive in an ever changing environment. This includes open and positive discussions on new approaches to deliver efficiencies and flexibility, where these are proposed.
On the basis of the above, we are recommending:

A consolidated salary increase of £282 for staff earning equivalent to spine point 4 of the AoC harmonised pay scale (£14,052); and

•	A consolidated salary increase of 0.7% for all other staff.

Payable from 1 August 2013.

This increases the recommended minimum hourly rate to £7.45 in recognition of the UK Living Wage.

This recommended pay award is made on the condition that the joint trade unions agree to consult meaningfully with their members with a positive recommendation.”

The Further Education Committee of UCU (FEC) met on Friday 28 June to consider the offer.  Members of the committee were unanimous in the view that the offer of 0.7% in response to our claim for a 5% increase was unacceptable in the context of inflation running at over 2% and the ever increasing levels of workload faced by members because of the tightening and/or worsening of conditions of service at a local level.

 FEC was mindful of the policy passed at Annual Sector Conference last May which stated that in the event of an unsatisfactory offer, a ballot for national strike action should be held as early in October as possible. The committee supports this conference policy and is recommending that members reject the offer and the union organises a ballot for industrial action. FEC was very clear that to achieve any chance of an improved offer requires a very significant level of industrial action. It was therefore important that members are first fully consulted both on the offer and their willingness to take industrial action. 

Consultation Process

Officers should now take immediate steps to organise a branch meeting after the summer break to consider the offer. These meetings must be held before 9 October to consider if branch members agree or not with the recommendation that UCU should reject the final pay offer of 0.7% and organise a ballot for a programme of national escalating strike action to obtain an improved offer.

Further information for members will follow and regional offices will be contacting branches to check arrangements are in place for these meetings.

The FEC will be meeting again on 11 October and will determine the next steps taking account of the results of the consultation. Branches should forward the result of meetings to dbussell@ucu.org.uk using the following template: 

“...... (name) branch accepts/rejects the recommendation that UCU considers the 0.7% final pay offer from the AOC for 2013/14 as unacceptable and that members should therefore be balloted for a programme of national escalating strike action in support of obtaining an improved offer.”

Barry Lovejoy
National Head of FE