Created on: 08 Jun 2017 | Last modified: 31 Oct 2018
Following negotiation with university employers (UCEA) at New JNCHES earlier this year, your negotiators have been unable to persuade the employers to raise their pay uplift offer of 1.7% for 2017/18.
Your negotiators, together with negotiators from UCU, Unite, Unison and the GMB, argued that members’ pay should increase by both a ‘keep up’ and ‘catch up’ element – Retail Price Index (‘RPI’) to allow pay to ‘keep up’ with inflation and an additional amount designed to help employees’ pay to recover to pre-2009 levels (‘catch-up’).
The negotiators outlined that the value of members’ pay has declined and has continued to fall in recent years. Since 2009, the cumulative loss to pay, compared to rises in inflation, is over 16%.
If inflation increases as predicted by the economists advising the Treasury, then by the end of 2017, the total real terms decline in pay since 2009/10 will be 19.5%. Negotiators also emphasised that living standards of our members are falling as their workload increases.
|
Recent Pay Rises at New JNCHES |
HE Pay Settlements for Academic Staff |
RPI at Pay Implementation |
|
August 2010 – July 2011 |
0.4% |
4.7% |
|
August 2011 – July 2012 |
£150 |
5.2% |
|
August 2012 – July 2013 |
1.0% |
2.9% |
|
August 2013 – July 2014 |
1.0% |
3.3% |
|
August 2014 – July 2015 |
2.0% |
2.4% |
|
August 2015 – July 2016 |
1.0% |
1.1% |
|
August 2016 – July 2017 |
1.1% |
1.3% |
A pay uplift of 1.7% for 2017-18 would lead to an eighth successive real terms cut in pay for HE staff, since RPI is currently 3.5%. Whilst it is recognised that this is an increase on last year’s offer, universities can afford to pay more.
They are consistently choosing to pay their senior staff more than the pay increases agreed for lecturers at New JNCHES. Last year, twenty-four universities increased their vice chancellors’ pay by more than 10% at a time when staff on the 51(50) pay point scale received a 1.1% pay rise. Overall vice chancellors pay increased by 2%, almost double the percentage that other HE staff received.
The EIS-ULA Executive Committee understands that the other four recognised union at New JNCHES are at various stages of consultation. It is acknowledged that this is the best achievable by negotiation but it still does not meet the needs of our members in the sector.
The EIS urges you to vote ‘NO’ and so, to refuse to accept the final pay claim offer made by the employers in May 2017.
The consultative ballot will open on Monday 12th June and closes at midday on Wednesday, 28th. June 2017. You should vote on-line using your EIS No. and security code which is being sent to you.
If you have not received a security code please contact asmith@eis.org.uk or call 0131 225 6244.