2021-22 pay negotiations commence

31 Mar 2021

First of three meetings takes place today, 31 March

The pay negotiations for 2021-22 have now commenced with the first of three Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff meetings between trade unions and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA).

These negotiations will consider what pay increase will be come into effect in August 2021 for the forthcoming year.

Pay is a significant part of the overall package of benefits offered by our University and we recognise the hard work put in by colleagues, particularly over the pandemic, so we will continue to keep you informed as negotiations progress.

UCEA represents employers, including our University, at these negotiations. They have now published a detailed statement on the negotiations, the current status of the sector’s finances and the UCEA position.

In the newly published statement, while recognising the serious pressures upon the sector caused by COVID and other factors, UCEA has expressed its intent not to continue with the base pay freeze which was implemented for 2020-21, which we fully support.

The current timeline for the negotiations is:

31 March – first Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) negotiation meeting
14 April - second JNCHES negotiation meeting
6 May – third JNCHES negotiation meeting
1 August - date of effect for 2021- 2022 pay uplift

We will continue to provide updates as the meetings progress.

Karen Heaton

Director of Human Resources