News:
Our Ref: MJRVT/HE/26/12
6th September 2012
To: All Higher Education Workplace Reps & Branches
Regional Officers responsible for Higher Education
Dear Colleagues
Pay & Conditions Dispute 2012
This is an update on the latest state of play in relation to negotiations and proposed action.
UCEA as the final part of the dispute process asked all trade unions whether they would be willing to attend ACAS to try and find a solution to the impending dispute on pay for 2012. All unions agreed to attend further talks at ACAS and the meeting took place on the 22nd August.
The final offer from UCEA was 1% and at the talks with UCEA and trade unions in separate rooms the ACAS conciliators tried to find a solution. One possibility raised on the UCEA side was if the offer was improved slightly by 0.1% or 0.2% whether that would be enough to prevent a dispute. To put that suggestion into context 0.1% is worth an extra 25p per week and 0.2% worth 50p per week to those on the bottom scale points. This was not acceptable to the trade union side. After 3 hours of discussion and no further offers the ACAS meeting ended.
The following statement was agreed, "Under their procedure, the parties to new JNCHES met at the conciliation service ACAS on 22nd August 2012 to try to resolve their dispute over the 2012 pay award. Regrettably, it was not possible to reach agreement and the meeting was adjourned."
Unison and UCU have now commenced processes for ballots for industrial action. Unite and EIS will commence their own processes shortly. There is a common joint union plan for separate union ballot results to be declared around mid October. Industrial action plans are also in place for joint unions to take action at the same time to maximize effect.
There will be further union coordination on material to members explaining what the dispute is about and why higher education institutions can afford more than the 1% on offer. Localised protests are also being planned and you are recommended to liaise with other unions on campus as well as encouraging Unite members to vote for action when the Unite ballot opens around mid September.
Unite Regional Officers will be in contact shortly to go through membership lists to ensure members details on home addresses, detailed workplace and job titles are up to date.
Please ask Unite members to support the union call for action. It is the only way we will be able to move your employer away from the pattern of low percentage pay offers.
Yours sincerely
Mike Robinson
National Officer
Education