What opportunities does the framework agreement provide to the UCU?

Having a single pay spine and the development of role profiles should help to ensure that staff receive equal pay for work of equal value – including hourly-paid, part-time and fixed-term staff.

The framework agreement also requires institutions to provide suitable training and development opportunities all staff.

The agreement also allows the UCU to negotiate on promotion criteria, criteria for contribution pay and for any other non standard pay. These pay systems, have in the past, been opaque and have been applied in a non consistent way.

The framework agreement recommends the institution to carry out an equal pay audit in accordance with the JNCHES guidance. This has been a long standing aim of the union's campaign against the pay gap in higher education and therefore the agreement can be used by negotiators to pursue this aim.

The agreement also allows the UCU to negotiate for the transfer of hourly paid staff to pro-rata permanent contracts and to provide for incremental progression for such staff - often for the very first time.

And of course, the framework agreement provides an issue around which branches and local associations can recruit and organise.