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Taking action in higher education

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  7. HE pay and salaries

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).

The negotiations generally cover salaries effective from 1 August of the current year.

UCU and HE pay negotiations

Negotiating nationally on your behalf

The over-arching Joint Negotiating 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.

Negotiating rounds

For further information please see: HE pay negotiations

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.

Last updated: 15 March 2019