Update on the University’s final pay offer
Update on the 3rd pay meeting with the University and their final pay offer
UNISON’s pay claim for 2018/2019 can be found here.
The University’s full and final offer for 2018/2019 for all bands is:
* an increase by 2% or £425, whichever is greater, with effect from 1st August 2018.
* raising the bottom point of band 200 to match the Living Wage rate from the beginning of November 2018 (for a year only!)
* raising the bottom point of band 300 to spinal point 21 with effect from 1st November 2018 (thus scrapping the lowest two pay spines on Band300)
It’s welcome that the University have finally agreed to match the living wage rate from the date it rises. This is a testament to the persistence of our campaign – it is because of you that we’ve finally won this.
However, the offer is only for one year, and we have no guarantee that they will continue to match the Living Wage rate next year. We are extremely disappointed that the university is unwilling to become Living Wage Accredited, and to address our other points in the claim.
Given that our last members meeting overwhelmingly voted to reject the University’s first offer, we cannot recommend that members accept this.
Most staff on Band300 and everyone on Bands 400 and 500 will have another real terms pay cut this year. By not committing to becoming Living Wage Accredited, staff in the Hotel and Conference Park, the Guild of Students and any other organisation the University works with will not be paid the Living Wage. Year on year, we have to fight to keep the University above the living wage, which leads to a compression of the pay spine and leaves us unable to focus on other campaigns to improve working conditions at the University. Why doesn’t the University follow through and make a firm commitment to keeping its staff above the poverty line? Why doesn’t the University finally recognise the impact inflation is having on the pay of all staff?
The time to pay a fair pay rise is long overdue!
Next steps
UNISON’s concerns are not only about pay, but also about the way in which the university treats its staff and fails to support us all appropriately. We have witnessed too many instances where staff individually and collectively are suffering due to the university’s cost saving targets, unreasonable workload, unjustified disciplinary processes that have a disastrous effect on so many members every week, high staff turnover, wrong banding, shortage of staff, gender pay gap, high car parking and sports facilities fees, and a disregard for maternity-related and disability-related support.
The University often excuses low pay by pointing to other benefits and the overall working environment – but we feel there is a lot they need to do to improve these as well! Next week we will be giving some more information about the next steps for our campaign on pay and the other matters we’ll raise with the University as part of any dispute.
Members’ meetings:
There will be joint members meetings for all UNISON, UNITE and GMB members on Thursday the 25th of October (9.15am in 103 Alan Walters and 12.30pm in WG12 Aston Webb). Please come to discuss our campaign and the demands we should make from the University once we move to a formal dispute.
