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HE members vote in favour of pay deal

18 July 2006

UCU members have voted by a substantial majority in favour of a pay deal that increases salaries for academic and related staff by 10.37% over the next two years.

The third year of the deal provides a minimum increase of 2.5% and further negotiations when an independent review of university finances has reported.

On a very large turnout for a ballot of this kind 71% of UCU members who voted wanted to accept the offer made by the employers' association UCEA. The result in full is as follows:

Question: 'Should UCU accept the employers' current pay offer?'

Number voting YES: 24,527 (71% of valid vote)

Number voting NO: 10,036 (29% of valid vote)

TOTAL 34,563 (55% of total ballot papers issued)

Sally Hunt, UCU joint general secretary said: 'UCU members began this dispute by giving the union a substantial mandate to take industrial action, and now they have ended it by supporting the union's negotiators in a similarly decisive margin.

'The very high turnout shows the level of engagement with the union that members have had during the dispute. The final settlement provides a solid first step towards restoring pay levels in our universities to those of comparable professions, but our employers must realise that there remains a long way to go.

'Recent studies have confirmed UCU's view that there is extra money available for pay in the future, and we expect this to be confirmed by the independent review of university finances in year three. The employers can expect a further claim on this basis in 2008/09. During this dispute I have had to negotiate with a disunited employer's side in often shambolic circumstances. If we are to avoid further prolonged industrial action in the future, the national bargaining structures and indeed UCEA itself require urgent reform. In the meantime this dispute has shown that the days when universities could hold salaries down and take our members' goodwill for granted are over for good.'

Last updated: 15 December 2015

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