FE BRANCH OFFICERS UPDATE
13 March 2013
Update on 2013/14 National Negotiations for England FE Colleges (for urgent attention)
Dear Colleagues, 

Talks on next year’s pay award open on 24 April with further dates scheduled in May and June to complete the negotiations.

Our claim is for a 5% increase and can be seen in full at http://www.ucu.org.uk/fepayengland

Downloadable leaflets and posters can also be found on this page so please ensure that you distribute this material to members. Printed copies can be obtained by contacting jstephens@ucu.org.uk

At its meeting last Friday the national FE committee of the National Executive (FEC) decided that it would consult branches on whether members would be prepared to take strike action in the event of the employers making an unacceptable offer at this first negotiating meeting in April. It is highly unlikely that the employers would make a final offer at this meeting but on the basis of previous experience would make a very low initial offer. The aim of taking industrial action would be to demonstrate the strength of feeling of members behind the claim before negotiations are completed.

It is obviously important that before entering talks your national negotiators are clear about whether members are prepared to take action at this early stage of the process. Colleagues are therefore asked as a matter of priority to organise meetings of members to discuss and determine the views of your branch to the following question. 

In the event of an unsatisfactory pay offer from employers at the first national negotiating meeting, are branch members prepared to be balloted to take strike action whilst negotiations continue?

Or alternatively do branch members wish to be consulted on taking industrial action following a final offer from the employers? 

Please do your best to organise such meetings before 17 April and report the outcome to dbussell@ucu.org.uk. In the event that you are unable to organise a branch meeting within this deadline would you please nevertheless consult fellow branch committee members or officers on their view to this question.

Barry Lovejoy
National Head of Further Education