Update on industrial action ballots by university sector trade unions
01 Sep 2022
Message from Adèle MacKinlay, Director of People and Organisational Development
Industrial action ballots from Unison and UCU
On 22 July 2022 Unison opened a ballot for its members on industrial action in relation to the Higher Education 2022/23 pay offer. The ballot closed on 26 August 2022, and we have been informed that of those members who voted, 83.29% voted in favour of industrial action. However, only 39.8% of the members eligible to vote took part in the ballot, and it therefore did not meet the required 50% threshold. This means that Unison do not have a mandate for industrial action.
We have also been advised that UCU intend to ballot their members on industrial action in relation to pay and working conditions and changes to the USS pension scheme. The ballots will open on Tuesday, 6 September and will close on Friday, 21 October.
UCEA pay offer
The national pay offer tabled was up to a 9% increase for colleagues on pay point 19 or lower (£24,871 Grade 4), and a minimum of 3% for colleagues on pay point 20 and above (£25,627) to be paid with effect from 1 August 2022.
As instructed by UCEA (the national body which negotiates on the sector’s behalf on pay), along with other institutions, the University has implemented the pay uplift to all eligible employees within the August pay.
Negotiations are conducted at a national level for pay, and we are one of over 100 universities who feed into and influence that process. We are unable to make changes to that increase at a local level within this national framework. We do, however, recognise how important pay is to colleagues and we take those views very seriously.
In total, we have about 6,300 USS members and about 12,000 staff across the University. We will provide an update on the USS pension shortly.
Pay and pensions are negotiated nationally through UCEA and UUK respectively.
Our commitment
As we have stated on a number of previous occasions where ballots have occurred, we are extremely concerned that we face the potential for further industrial action. Any kind of industrial action causes serious disruption for our community, and particularly our students, after what has been an extended period of pandemic upheaval.
We are absolutely committed to the fundamental importance of the University remaining a great place to work, and study.
We will be launching our new People and Organisational Development Strategy in the autumn and we were delighted to say thank you to staff for their huge efforts through the pandemic.
Adèle MacKinlay
Director of People and Organisational Development