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Higher education - pay background
There have been significant changes and developments in higher education employment conditions across the UK in recent years.
2011 pay negotiations
In July 2011, higher education employers made a final offer of a £150 a year pay rise for staff working in universities and colleges across the UK.
The joint unions – UNISON, UCU, Unite, GMB and EIS – said they were disappointed at the offer, which "falls well short of the pay expectations of members".
The employers' "full and final offer" is for a £150 increase to all pay points, which UCEA say represents an increase of 0.5% of the pay bill; an increase in London weighting allowance in post '92 institutions of 0.5%.
The unions pointed out that his will be the third year of insignificant, below-inflation increases in higher education and will result in further erosion in members' standards of living.
All the unions have agreed to undertake further consultation on the offer. None will recommend acceptance of the offer. There are no current plans for any further negotiations to take place.
2004 pay framework
A new pay framework was negotiated by UK higher education unions and the employers over a two year period and finalised in March 2004. This required the employers to implement a new HE pay spine and associated pay and grading arrangements by no later than 1 August 2006.
It required staff to be paid according to rates on a national pay spine and academic staff to be graded according to a national grading structure. Implementation is still ongoing in some institutions, and there are differences between the method of implementation in pre-92 and post-92 institions.
Need further advice?
Your first point of contact is your ATL rep in your school or college. Your local ATL branch is also available to help with queries, or you can contact ATL's member advisors on tel: 020 7930 6441 or email us. Please have your membership number to hand when telephoning and include it with any correspondence - this will help us to answer your query more quickly.