Update on pay negotiations

01 May 2018

A message from Karen Heaton, Director of Human Resources

Dear colleagues

Annual national negotiations are currently taking place to reach agreement on the level of pay increase for 2018/19 across higher education institutions.  

All negotiations and dialogue on pay and pay-related issues are carried out by the New Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (New JNCHES) which is made up of representatives from the Universities and Colleges Employer Association (UCEA) and five trade unions.  

This group negotiates on the base uplift to the National Pay Spine which most higher education institutions use to underpin pay and grading arrangements for the majority of University staff.  Our University supports the New JNCHES pay bargaining arrangements and is fully committed to constructive dialogue with the trade unions.

This year’s discussions are taking place against a backdrop of financial challenge and exceptional uncertainty for the sector and it is important that any agreement reached balances the interests of all parties involved in the negotiations.

Two meetings of the JNHES have taken place with UCEA making an offer of a 1.7% increase with a higher uplift for the lowest paid that would average out as a 3% increase. 

Any increase negotiated by the New JNCHES would be in addition to the incremental pay increase which approximately 56% of our staff also receive as part of the University’s pay scale.  An average increment equates to 3% per annum.

Like all universities involved in the discussions, our aim is to provide an attractive pay and benefits package to our staff and our University remains committed to reaching a settlement which is both fair for our staff and affordable for our University.

Further updates on the pay negotiations will be provided after the next meeting of the JNHES which takes place on Thursday, 10 May.

Best wishes

Karen Heaton, Director of Human Resources